Tabula Rasa
by FivebyFive89
Summary: Sara would like very much for the past to stay where it belongs. Unfortunately for her, nothing ever goes the way she wants. Especially in Kadara. Murder, betrayal, abduction and a daring rescue...Why is nothing ever simple? All Tempest crew OC sequel to Trail of Hope. Rating is for language and violence
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hi! So, this is a sequel to my first Andromeda fic (A Trail of Hope). This one takes place several months after the events of the game and, once again, these are my interpretations of the characters. Based on a custom Sara, but she sounds similar enough to default Sara so shouldn't cause many issues ;P**

 **There was almost zero planning involved with this, which was fun :P I've made my OC a Brit because I was bound to throw in some Britishisms and I didn't want that to jar with people assuming she's American like the majority of ME characters seem to be :P**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 _When Sara had been approached to join a group of scientists researching protheans on a_ _ **genuine**_ _prothean dig site it had never really crossed her mind that she may actually need to fend off attackers. But apparently even common pirates knew the value of the equipment being used on site. They had struck during the dead of night while almost everyone slept, pushing through the site's laughable air defences with ease and setting their shuttles down close to the equipment containers. The majority of the researchers huddled in their trailers terrified as a heated firefight broke out around the landed shuttles, gunfire cracking and stuttering around the dig site. Most of the night time security team had been incapacitated almost immediately; injured or…worse. While aware of the possibility of an attack, no one had ever really expected it to become reality._

 _It was only the fast response of the remaining off duty Alliance security personnel that had saved the first team from being wiped out completely. That and the handful of mercenaries that had recently joined them to bulk out the meagre security detail. Sara had never been so happy to be serving with mercenaries than in that moment._

 _Sara, who had decided she couldn't stand idly by while others fought and were hurt trying to keep her safe. She had decided to put the little N7 training her father had unofficially given her and her brother to good use and was crouched down behind a crate as bullets zipped by and slammed harmlessly into the ground behind her or sparked off machinery and metal trunks. She clutched a Phalanx pistol she had taken from a weapons locker in the security bunker but had yet to take more than a couple of pot shots at the pirates. Peering around her cover she swore as she saw a group of them splitting off from the main fight around the dig, heading in the direction of the researchers' campsite. Maybe hoping for some hostages, maybe hoping to bag some easy credits while the rest of their group kept the soldiers busy? Sara didn't want to wait to find out and gave chase. She sprinted out of cover, keeping low to make herself a smaller target, following them into the campsite._

 _Big mistake._

 _She lost sight of them amongst the multitude of trailers and realised too late that she was alone and outnumbered and this was perhaps not her brightest idea ever. No one knew where she was, no one would come to her aid._

 _A gun butt shot out from behind a trailer and smashed straight into the side of her head. Sharp metal raked the side of her face, right eyebrow to cheekbone. Sara spun from the force of the impact and dropped to her knees as stars exploded in her vision, falling forwards and bracing on her hands. She blinked rapidly in shock as her ears began to ring and blood, hot and sticky, began to flow freely from the wound opened by the weapon, already collecting at the base of her chin and dripping to the ground._

 _She had dropped her gun as she fell and it had skittered away, out of reach. She cast around hurriedly for the weapon, trying to combat the nausea brought on by being struck in the head._

" _Idiot human," her attacker sneered. The voice was batarian. Sara felt a chill of terror crawl the length of her spine._

 _There. A flash of white in the darkness. The Phalanx. She could throw herself forwards and snatch it up, and-_

" _Kill it," a turian voice commanded. She heard the sharp double click of a shotgun being pumped and looked up to see five pirates surrounding her. Panic numbed her as she realized she would die here, kneeling in the dust between two trailers as she tried to play the hero and failed miserably._

 _And that was when the shadow peeled away from the darkness gathered behind a trailer and struck. Sara thought she was seeing things at first._

 _The batarian went down first as an omni-blade punched through his back and exploded from the centre of his chest, burning a fiery orange amongst the matte-black of his armour. He stared down at the blade, eyes open wide with shock. A ripple of purple slammed into the turian and threw him impossibly high into the air. Sara's saviour wrenched the omni-blade free of the batarian, who dropped to the ground with a gurgle, to draw a pistol and fire three shots into the air in quick succession. The turian was dead before he hit the ground with a painful crunch._

 _The remaining three levelled their guns at their attacker only to be driven back by a powerful biotic throw before they could fire and were finished off with the rest of the rounds in the pistol._

 _The whole thing had taken less than thirty seconds._

 _Sara stared up at the woman that had rescued her in stunned silence. The stormy grey eyes and long black hair shaved at the sides were easily recognisable. Theron Wylde, the one in charge of the mercenaries. Sara had originally thought she looked unprofessional with the black glyphs tattooed from shoulder to wrist down her right arm and over the fingers of both hands. That, and the attitude problem and blatant disregard to protocol. But damn did she know how to fight… She realized now, the reason the Alliance had agreed to hire her._

" _You okay?" Theron asked, her accent English unlike the majority of Alliance humans Sara served with. She reached down a strong hand and easily hauled Sara to her feet. Theron stood several inches taller than her, hair tied into a thick ponytail that fell well passed her shoulders._

 _Sara opened her mouth to answer, but found no words. She simply blinked at her, still processing. Theron bent down and scooped up the dropped pistol, holding it out to Sara by the barrel. Sara mutely wrapped her fingers around the grip, staring down at the weapon._

" _Never seen anyone take on pirates in their PJs before…" She commented as she looked Sara up and down with a grin, taking in the black and red checked pyjamas, the trousers of which were stuffed hastily into heavy duty boots._

" _That was-where did you even come from?!" Sara demanded breathlessly, finally succeeding in finding her voice. She hadn't heard anyone following her, hadn't even seen Theron until she killed the batarian._

 _Theron smirked at her, spread her arms wide as one eyebrow twitched upwards. "Hey, they don't call me Ghost for nothin'."_


	2. Chapter 1

" _ **Congratulations, Pathfinder**_ _,"the voice was inside her head; soft, quietly controlled, and without emotion. It chilled her to the bone, made her skin crawl, and immediately her heart began beating wildly out of control, hammering against her ribs as though trying to break free. She tasted metal, mouth tingling, limbs trembling; fear. "_ _ **A great day for us all**_ _," the Archon continued in that same measured tone, taunting her._

 _Pain knifed through her skull and Sara dropped her gun to the floor with a clatter to bring both hands up to her chin, fingers fumbling in her haste to unfasten her helmet and pull it off. She couldn't breathe, the helmet was constricting, had to get it off. It dropped from nerveless fingers as she staggered when the floor tilted dangerously beneath her feet. Images flashed into her mind; the Archon stood before SAM node on Ark Hyperion, looking up at the glowing white-blue image of SAM, but the image was distorted, corrupted somehow. She brought one hand up to her forehead, pressing hard as though that could push away the pain and the bizarre duel visuals, screwed her eyes shut tight, but the images stayed._

 _It felt like claws were buried inside her brain, tearing her head apart. Sara dropped to her knees, clutching at her head in agony. Even her rasping breath caused spikes of agony to drill through her skull._

" _SAM? Tempest? What is going_ _ **on**_ _?!" She cried desperately, words merging into a scream of pain as white-hot barbs needled further into her brain._

 _When she looked up again she was no longer surrounded by gloomy remnant ruins, but hard rock and a sky that was rapidly clearing of clouds, brilliant blue and warm light filtering through the cover. Habitat 7. She wore her armour, but her helmet was lost, no-where to be seen. She had only a moment to register surprise before her lungs seized. Her breath caught in her throat as she attempted to suck in toxic air. Tears blurred her vision as her eyes began to stream. This was wrong._

" _ **I believed you a fitting rival**_ ,"

 _This was all wrong._

" _ **But you are a false thing. A lie**_ _."_

 _Her vision began to fracture with light and grow dark around the edges as her body cried for oxygen. There was a pressure in the centre of her chest, building with each moment she tried to breathe. Her lungs were working, air scraping her throat raw but doing nothing to stop her suffocating._

" _We don't have that long."_

 _Sara's head snapped up at the voice, so familiar, so comforting, long gone unheard. She blinked tears from her eyes and stared up into the concerned gaze of her father as he struggled down onto his knees before her, supporting one leg with a hand clamped to his injured thigh._

" _Dad?" Sara choked out as her chest spasmed. She fell forwards as a wave of dizziness crashed over her, only just throwing out her hands in time to brace herself. Her body desperately screaming now for oxygen, but no matter how much air she tried to drag into her lungs, there was nothing breathable in that toxic cloud. Her throat and airways burned and caused her to cough painfully. Her pulse throbbed in her head, heart raging desperately as she was slowly choked._

 _But that was nothing compared to the stab of emotion she felt at seeing her father. Her chest ached and the tears in her eyes were no longer solely due to the stinging air. She felt a lump building in her throat, pride swallowing it down._

 _Alec Ryder disengaged the locks on his helmet and pulled it from his head, turning the armour over in his hands and slipping it over his daughter's head. He sealed it to her armour as she looked up at him in surprise._

" _Dad, what are you-"_

 _Sara yelped and recoiled as she found the Archon's face before her._

" _It's useless to struggle," he told her, pale silvery eyes taking in her startled expression with glee. Habitat-7 gave way to the dark corridor deep with the Archon's flagship. Where he had stabbed that transmitter into her neck. Where she had died._

" _I-I killed you," Sara managed to choke out, a futile rebellion meant to bolster her. Her limbs felt numb and tears were still wet upon her cheeks. "You lost. You have no power over me." She willed herself to believe the words but couldn't. She was weak, powerless, at the mercy of a dead alien._

 _The Archon's mouth twisted into a cruel smile and he gestured with one three-clawed hand._

" _And yet, here you are," he sneered. Sara felt her muscles lock and knew, without looking, that she was trapped once again in the immobilising field the Archon had used the first time. "What would your father say, to see you here now?" He slowly paced around the trapped Pathfinder, a predator circling its prey. "Pathetic," he paused in front of her again and leaned in close. Sara felt a shudder of disgust run through her but was unable to look away. "Useless."_

 _Sara grit her teeth. She could see well enough the disappointment in her father's eyes._

 _Explosive pain ripped through her skull once again, blinding her temporarily and bringing her to her knees. She forced her eyes open as her ears rang, and knelt, choking for breath, once again in Khi Tasira. Her pulse throbbed in her neck, pounded in her head, as spots danced before her eyes._

" _ **Fall to darkness, Pathfinder. You were almost worthy**_ _."_

Sara jerked awake with a yelp and struggled upright, fighting against constricting blankets that had coiled about her as she tossed and turned. Her chest heaved as she gasped for breath, sucking in great lungfuls of air as though surfacing after too long spent under water, or time spent without a helmet in an unbreathable atmosphere… Her heart raged against her ribs, pulse thrumming so hard she felt almost as though she couldn't breathe despite her gasping breaths. Her hands trembled as she seized the covers in a white-knuckled grip and cold sweat dampened her skin, sticking her long hair to the back of her neck. She recognized the fluttering in her chest, the inability to feel like her heaving lungs were drawing air. Panic. Cold and primal.

Suvi stirred in the bed beside her, roused by the sudden movement, and was immediately wide awake when she saw the state of the Pathfinder. Her eyes snapped open and she pushed herself up on one elbow.

"Hey, shhh, it's okay," she said gently and reached up to pull Sara back down into the bed, "it's okay. Look at me," she cupped Sara's cheek with one hand, shuffling closer as Sara turned her head to stare at her with wide eyes. "I'm here, you're okay."

Sara gripped Suvi's upper arm hard with icy fingers. Suvi expertly hid a wince of pain, keeping her eyes on Sara's and brushing the pad of her thumb beneath one startlingly blue eye.

"Deep breaths," she murmured, Sara's laboured breathing steering dangerously close to hyperventilating. Sara did as ordered, staring desperately into Suvi's turquoise eyes and relaxing the iron grip she had on the redhead's arm.

It didn't take long to calm her. It was far from the first nightmare Sara had woken from around Suvi as the Pathfinder's brain continued to process the events of the past few months. Things had moved so fast since arriving in Andromeda…

Suvi pressed her palm over Sara's heart, feeling the beat grow steady, her chest rising and falling slowly as she took deep calming breaths.

"Okay?" She asked softly, eyebrows raised slightly in question.

Sara inhaled slowly through her nose and let it out through her mouth, giving Suvi a shy smile, embarrassed as always.

"Okay," she said quietly, and rolled onto her back to stare up at the ceiling, though it was lost to the shadows. The room was dark still, though lighter than the shadows of dead of night. It must be near dawn. "Thanks."

Suvi rubbed a palm against Sara's stomach in answer, knowing by now the futility in telling the Pathfinder she didn't need to say 'thanks'. She stilled her hand, enjoying the warmth of Sara's bare skin against her fingers as she watched her and waited to see if Sara would relate the events of her nightmare.

"What time is it?" Sara asked eventually, voice still gravelly from sleep.

"Tempest time or Kadara time?" Suvi asked playfully, propping her head in her palm. Sara turned her head to raise an eyebrow and lay a hand over Suvi's on her stomach, fingers brushing Suvi's wrist.

" _The time is 5:04am on Kadara_ ," SAM answered quietly instead from the speakers mounted in the ceiling of her room. " _The sunrise is at 5:41am. Would you like me to untint your windows, so you can watch?_ "

Sara was quiet a moment as she contemplated, watching the ceiling again. She was unlikely to go back to sleep now. She glanced at Suvi in question, who shrugged in response.

"Sure, SAM," Sara replied. The shadows began to soften as the tint darkening the wide window that wrapped half her quarters faded. Weak pre-dawn light coloured the room in shades of grey as Sara looked at the view outside and heaved a sigh. "The beautiful sights of Kadara Port," she commented.

Outside, landing lights shone white beneath ships and shuttles of all shapes and sizes as dock workers loaded or unloaded cargo. In the distance, the mountains were just becoming visible against a lightening sky, jagged shadows against a flat grey backdrop.

"It could be worse," Suvi said, laying her head on Sara's chest. "Will you be going back to the outpost today?"

"I don't think so," Sara's fingers went to Suvi's hair, tousled from sleep and pleasantly soft against her skin.

The Tempest had docked in Kadara the previous evening for an unscheduled visit to Ditaeon, the outpost currently lacking a landing zone that could accommodate anything larger than a supply shuttle. While humanity had a home now in Port Meridian (path successfully found) Sara's work was far from over. The Andromeda Initiative's Pathfinders were a symbol. Months after the Meridian core had been brought back online there were still pockets of kett resistance that needed flushing out, exiles still caused havoc for Initiative outposts. The Pathfinders and their teams were still needed.

"We'd just be getting in the way, I think. Today is for relaxing," Sara turned her head to press a kiss against Suvi's forehead, closing her eyes in bliss and smiling against her warm skin.

"Oh, well, in that case," Suvi said, tipping her head back to grin at Sara, "I have some ideas…"

Her lips had barely brushed Sara's when an omni-tool pinged with a comms request, beginning the repeated beeping that wouldn't stop until it was answered.

Sara groaned in response and buried her face in Suvi's neck, pressing against her deliciously warm body. "Suvi, make it stop…" she whined against the hollow of her girlfriend's shoulder. Suvi glanced over at the bedside table, watching the omni-tool beep and flash for attention.

"That one's yours," she said.

"What? No, it isn't!" Sara protested, still hiding. It would be Director Tann demanding she deal with some bureaucratic crap, she just knew it. Then, somewhat sulkily, "how do you know?"

"Because you threw mine over there when Kallo tried to speak to me last night," Suvi gestured across the room towards the black wristband on the floor by Sara's desk. Sara peeped over her shoulder at it.

"He shouldn't have interrupted smoochie time then," she grumbled, then sighed and reached across Suvi to pick up her omni-tool and snap the band over her arm. She rolled onto her side and held her arm in front of herself as the glowing orange gauntlet flared to life. She accepted the call and answered irritably, "yes?"

 _"About time!"_ Sloane Kelly snapped back in the same surly tone. Sara blinked in surprise at the angry face in front of her, annoyance visible even through the flickering of a downsized holo image.

"Morning, Sloane…" Was the ruler of Kadara pissed that Sara had been docked there for over twelve hours now without so much as a message sent her way? No, Sloane didn't care about pleasantries. This was definitely something else. Sara had a bad feeling…

 _"Don't you 'morning' me, Ryder! I've been trying to get hold of you for ages. The Hell are you doing, anyway?"_ Suvi peered curiously over Sara's shoulder, garnering a frosty once over. _"Right."_

"What?! No!" Suvi blushed furiously. "We weren't-"

"What do you want, Sloane?" Sara interrupted, wanting to get the conversation over with as quickly as possible.

 _"How quickly can you get here?"_

"Pretty quick considering I'm still docked here…"

 _"Good."_

"Wh-" Sloane killed the connection. "Well, _she's_ clearly not a morning person." Sara let her crooked arm drop back to the covers as the omni-tool went dead and rolled onto her back to stare up at the ceiling, trying to figure out if Sloane was an afternoon or evening person either. "Wonder what that was all about…?"

"You'll have to ask her when you see her," Suvi said, lying on her side with her head propped against her palm, watching her. Sara wrinkled her nose in dismay.

"I hate how she just assumes I'll up and go," she muttered.

"But you will," Suvi said, drawing lazy patterns against Sara's stomach with one forefinger, following the defined planes of her abs and curving her hand around one hip, "because she wouldn't ask if she didn't need you."

Sara gave an agitated groan and rolled to press her head against Suvi's shoulder again, unwilling to agree with that logic but knowing she had to. "Why do you always have to be right?"

Suvi just laughed and kissed the top of her head fondly. "Come on, get up," she said, pulling away and moving to climb out of bed.

Sara wrapped both arms around Suvi's stomach and pulled her back. "No, Suviiiiii," she protested, arms locked tight, so the other woman couldn't escape.

"Sara…" Suvi used her warning tone, hands resting atop Sara's forearms as she glanced back, one eyebrow raised. She felt Sara's arms loosen around her middle.

"Fine," Sara pouted, letting her go. Suvi climbed to her feet and laced her fingers behind her head, arching her back in a luxurious stretch. When she looked back at Sara to see if she was moving yet she was greeted with a salacious grin. "No, please, continue. Don't let me stop y-mmph!" Suvi whipped the pillow out from beneath Sara's head and threw it at her.

"You're impossible!" She cried but couldn't help a laugh. Sara never failed to make her feel attractive, or wanted, or loved, even, though they had yet to broach that subject. She welcomed those feelings, even at times like this when she needed to coerce Sara out of bed and off to some important meeting. Her work had taken over her life and it had been…a while since she had experienced such things. Well over six-hundred years. The thought brought an amused smile to her lips.

Sara bunched the pillow up and stuffed it back behind her head, folding her arms beneath it to prop herself up and watch Suvi hunt around the room for clothes carelessly discarded the night before.

"Sara, where's my bra?" She asked, straightening with her crumpled red-and-white uniform held in her arms.

Sara frowned at her in confusion. "What? How should I know?" She asked.

Suvi raised an eyebrow. "Well, you had it last," she said pointedly.

Sara blushed. That was right. "Uh, I threw it that way…" She mumbled, pointing vaguely towards the sofa across the room. Suvi crossed over to it and vanished behind it for a moment.

"Got it!" She stood up and grinned at Sara, who lounged in bed still. And she knew just how to get her up… "Now, I'm going for a shower. You're welcome to join me if you actually get out of bed…"

Sara was on her feet in seconds. Suvi turned away to hide a smug smile. It was the sure-fire way to get her out of bed. Worked like a charm every time.

"You should have said that before!"

* * *

Kadara Port had once been a respectable trading hub for the angara. Then the kett arrived and the war began. The angara suffered years of oppression until Sloane Kelly and her band of Nexus exiles found them. Sloane and her people reduced the kett presence to a few heads on pikes in the port and business resumed as usual. Sort of. Sloane appointed herself ruler of Kadara and word spread through Andromeda. Exiles flocked to the port. Violence and crime and violent crime became the way of life as pirates, smugglers and mercenaries made Kadara their home.

It wasn't all bad though. Sloane seemed to be doing a pretty good job of keeping things relatively under control now that the Charlatan was out of the picture. No more turf war meant Kadara was fairly peaceful for once. The only thing residents had to worry about was Outcast shakedowns.

Or at least, the early morning made it seem that way. The rising sunstar was warm on her back as it heaved itself over the mountains, chasing away the deep blue sky of night with fingers of warm pink and rose gold that just touched the tops of the highest of the ramshackle buildings of the port. Few people were about at such an hour of the day and, in true Kadara fashion, they completely ignored Sara as she made her way towards Outcast HQ to meet with Sloane. Or, rather, that was where Sara assumed Sloane was as the woman had neglected to mention that part.

She was still worried about what it was exactly that Sloane wanted to talk about, though Suvi had done her best to take Sara's mind off it. That, and the nightmare that stubbornly resisted all attempts to push it to the back of her mind. She shook her head, cast aside her concerns and focussed on the walk through a slowly awakening Kadara.

No, she wouldn't let any of that taint her day.

"Took your time," Sloane said tersely when Sara approached her glorified throne, flanked by two of her guards. She could hear the soft click of armour plates moving against each other as they walked behind her, the quiet ring of metal links moving on weapon straps as they held their rifles across their bodies. It was an empty threat. They knew who Sara was. But Sloane Kelly liked people to know who held the power here.

Sloane sat sideways, back supported by one armrest, her feet up on the other. Sunlight slanted through half-drawn blinds behind her, dust motes swirling lazily through the shafts like tiny specks of gold.

Sara responded with a sarcastic curtsey. "So sorry, your majesty!" She announced, brow creased in overly dramatic apology. "See, on the way here I had to stop by the Nexus to help escort a granny to the shops, and then on Eos a cat was stuck in a tree, and-"

"Shut up, Ryder."

"Of course, your majesty." Sara dropped the hand she had been counting her excuses on and adopted a deferential expression, head tilted, eyes downcast.

Sloane glared daggers at her. Sara's face was the picture of innocence. Her eyes flicked up to meet the queen of Kadara's gaze. Mis-matched eyes cold and angry. Sloane gave a snort of bitter laughter.

"It's good to see you again," she muttered finally, looking away momentarily. Sara watched her curiously. Sloane didn't like asking for help and Sara could see she was wrestling with her pride. She felt a prickle of trepidation in the base of her stomach. Something bad had happened. "I did you a solid, coming to Meridian and fighting the kett. So now you'll do the same for me, right?" She looked up at Sara, eyes hard as though daring her to object.

Sara shrugged and spread her arms, palms up.

"Sure. I'm here to return the favour," she said, letting her arms drop to her sides. Sloane hesitated again. "Why am I here, Sloane?" Sara pushed.

Sloane studied her a moment longer before she sighed and twisted in her chair to drop her feet to the floor with a heavy thunk.

"The Charlatan is back," she said grimly, resting her forearms on her thighs. "And he's here, somewhere on Kadara."

Sloane watched Sara quietly, waiting for her revelation to sink in. The Charlatan, Reyes Vidal, had returned to Kadara after fleeing months before when his attempt to murder Sloane and seize control of the port had failed. Sara had shot him in the back during his escape and they had heard nothing more of him save for one whiny email sent to Sara on the Tempest, confirming both his survival and his ability to hold a grudge.

Sara blinked at Sloane, clearly not having expected that to be the reason she had been rudely dragged out of bed that morning.

"Wait, wait, wait," she waved her hands in front of herself in protest. "Back up there. The Charlatan is back? _Reyes_?" That slimeball. That using, backstabbing piece of-

"Yep." Sloane's tight voice was edged in anger.

Sara hesitated. "How do you know?"

"Come with me," Sloane rose up to her feet and began walking away, across the room, leading Sara back out into the corridor outside. "I hope you skipped breakfast."


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: Had a lot of help from Walkeroflonelyroads on this one (he's a pro, ya'know? Check him out) and Major-de-Speed. Thanks for putting up with my whining, guys XD**

* * *

The Nomad hit a rock and lurched into the air, leaving the road entirely for one stomach-churning heartbeat, before crashing down heavily onto its six massive wheels and throwing up a cloud of dust from the dirt road they followed. The suspension did its best to absorb the impact, but Sloane was still jerked every which way as they landed. Gravel struck the thick metal hull in a series of ticks and rattles as they sped out West of Kadara Port, a sound that accompanied the low roar of the engine for the duration of their journey.

Sloane looked sideways at Sara from where she sat in the front passenger seat, thankfully wearing her seatbelt as they careened at top speed through the hills of Kadara. She slowly released her death grip on the edges of her seat and tried to relax.

"You drive like a maniac," she announced.

Sara glanced at her, then looked back out through the tinted windshield as they drove through a shallow pond of what had once been sulphuric water but was now sweet and clear, purified thanks to the efforts of Sara and her team in the vault several months prior. Water arced in twin sheets either side of the vehicle as it ploughed through the pool and barrelled up the far bank. Dust settled over the wet hull, turning gleaming white paintwork to dull mud-brown. "Well, you said you wanted to get there fast," she retorted. "When are you going to tell me where we're headed, anyway?"

"You'll see," Sloane muttered vaguely, folding her arms over her chest and scowling out of the window in an attempt to appear nonchalant. Sara's reckless driving had her on edge.

Sara rolled her eyes. "Sure. It's not like I need to know. I mean, it's not like I'm driving us there or anything," she remarked sarcastically, depressing the booster button without warning as they made their way up a steep slope. Sloane was thrown back into her seat with the force, and made a hasty grab for the sides of her seat again as the vehicle was launched over the crest. Sara saw the usually so stoic Sloane tense for impact out of the corner of her eye and smirked to herself.

Sloane huffed out a discreet breath as they landed, rocked once, and continued on without harm. "Follow that road," she ordered, pointing towards the right branch of a fork in the road ahead of them. Sara frowned as Sloane eventually directed them off the road towards Draullir.

The cliffs and rugged hillsides were strangely familiar and she shifted her gaze to Sloane, looking a question at her. Sloane's silence, and the way she stubbornly refused to meet her gaze, set alarm bells ringing in her head.

"Over there," Sloane jerked her head. Sara slowed the Nomad as they climbed a grassy incline and approached a dark cave entrance. As they neared she saw a turian and a human male climbing to their feet, armoured up and holding automatic rifles. Sara brought the Nomad to a halt and looked from the cave to Sloane, brow creased in confusion.

"This is where Reyes brought you to duel for Kadara," she stated needlessly.

"Yep," Sloane said stiffly, hitting the door controls and climbing out of the Nomad. The turian and the human made their way over to greet them. Sara followed suit and circled the vehicle to meet the approaching men, wondering why exactly the group had returned to this place.

She recognised the turian as Kaetus and nodded at him. "Kaetus." He nodded in reply, saying nothing, eyes on Sloane. His human companion, however, more than made up for the turian's surliness as he eagerly reached out a hand and seized Sara's in an enthusiastic handshake.

"Hi, Pathfinder Ryder, I'm Matt, Matt Kaplan, it's an honour to meet you in person!" He beamed down at her, hazel eyes earnest beneath an unruly mop of sandy hair. His gaze, though, was off somehow; Sara couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Um, hi…" Sara said, freeing her hand from his grip as she offered a slight smile in return, before turning to Sloane. Time to get some answers.

"So, are you going to tell me why you made me drive us here?"

Sloane stood with her arms folded over her chest, glowering at the Pathfinder. Kaetus shifted uneasily next to her.

It fell into place then. To ask for help, from a member of the Andromeda Initiative no less, with that look on her face. The glowering, the terse replies, harsh even by Sloane's usual standards. Sloane Kelly, Queen of Kadara Port, was _afraid_ , Sara realised with alarm, and was arming herself with anger.

"I received a message this morning," Sloane began to explain, the uncertainty in her voice doing nothing to reassure Sara. "From…Well. See for yourself." She brought up her omni-tool and keyed up an audio file.

" _Sloane! How have you been_?"

Sara's eyes widened.

Reyes Vidal's accented voice was bright with charm.

" _Did you miss me? No need. I left a gift for you at these coordinates. I think you'd better take a look_." He ended with a laugh.

Sara felt sick as that voice brought back memories of the charismatic smuggler. The hours she had spent fighting side by side with that man, the incessant flirting-mostly one-sided, from him to her-the scrapes she had escaped thanks to him… and all that time she had never suspected him of ulterior motives. He was a manipulative liar and it unnerved her to think, despite all that time she had spent with him, getting to know him, befriending him, she had never known him at all.

Sloane watched Sara intently, waiting for her reaction.

"Wait, so…he sent you that message, a very obvious trap, and you just came out here and checked it out?" Sara asked incredulously. It was obvious from Sloane's expression she had been inside. And whatever she had seen had unnerved her.

"That's what we said," Kaetus spoke for the first time since Sara had arrived, voice deep and gravelly, jerking his head at the man beside him, "but she insisted."

Sara suspected that was putting it mildly. Sloane's temper was legendary. But that side of her was currently buried beneath a dark mood of another kind, a quiet, nervous kind, as she kicked at a loose stone and watched it bounce away.

"I took precautions," Sloane grumbled. "I didn't come out here alone."

"We," Kaetus indicated himself and Kaplan with one claw, "don't count as precautions." Kaplan shifted his feet awkwardly, looking downwards as Sloane's attention slid his way. Being in the presence of the Queen, her Number One, and the human Pathfinder was taking its toll.

Sloane huffed and turned. "Come on," she said, leading them into the cave. "We need your SAM to do a proper examination."

"We haven't touched anything," added Kaplan behind Sara. "Everything's exactly as we found it."

Sara remembered the cave from the first time she had been there. Dirt floor interspersed with hard rocks. Rough grey rock walls and ceiling, mottled yellow with lichen. Air damp and musty, heavy with something metallic.

The four free-standing floodlights that bathed the area in bright fluorescent white were new. As was the corpse.

"Oh…Jesus…"

Sara felt bile rise to the back of her throat, fought it down. The lights stood around a twisted black metal mockery of Sloane's chair back in Outcast headquarters and on the chair sat the body of a young woman with bronze skin and hair shaved close at the sides and braided tight to her skull along the top. Tiny cuts showed amongst the stubble, where the razor had nicked her skin. Her eyes were wide open, pupils dilated in death, staring straight at them. Sara understood the metallic tang in the air now as she found the source of it-the flood of crimson that had spilled down the woman's front to pool in the throne and around her legs. The ground around the chair was stained near black with it.

The wound across her throat, ragged and red, was unmistakably that which had killed her. Sara's eyes moved up and down, taking in every detail. The wide straps that bound her to the throne by her wrists and ankles, preventing escape. She had died where she sat.

That wasn't what caused the chill to crawl the length of Sara's spine though. She shot a glance sideways to check and found Sloane glaring at the corpse, knowing the Pathfinder was looking at her, and why.

"She…She looks like-"

"Sloane," Kaetus finished when her voice seemed to get trapped in her throat.

Sara returned her gaze to the not-Sloane. The left eye was swollen and damaged, the sclera red, a thin trickle of blood weeping from the corner. The iris had a metallic silvery film, looking almost blue. Sara glanced back at Sloane again, noting the mismatched eyes that often threw her. One blue, one brown. Like the dead woman's now. Sloane stared levelly back at Sara, who turned back to the body.

The air was thick with the coppery scent of blood, and underneath it all the cloying sickly sweet smell of death as the body began to decompose, consuming itself from within. A portable generator hummed in the back of the cave, feeding power to the lights, currently the only sound.

Sara woke her omni-tool, calling up her scanner. They needed information. Who the Hell was crazy enough to mock-kill Sloane Kelly, substituting her for some innocent woman? At the back of her mind she knew. They all knew.

First things first.

"SAM, ready to analyse?" She asked, keeping as far away as she could from the body. It could be rigged to explode or something stupid.

" _Yes, Pathfinder_ ," SAM replied across each person's comms. Kaplan jumped in surprise, Sloane and Kaetus merely watched Sara as she began to scan the woman and the chair, watching the readouts on her omni tool.

" _I detect a recording device within the left eye_."

The announcement was met with alarm.

"I'm sorry, _what_?!" Sara demanded.

"A camera?" Sloane asked, pushing forwards to see for herself.

" _It is active and feeding visuals to a console some distance from our current location. Attempting to trace the connection, please stand by…_ " They waited for several tense seconds, all eyes on the concealed camera now. Kaetus and Kaplan had moved forwards to stand beside Sloane and Sara. " _Multiple firewalls are blocking my attempts. They are quite sophisticated_."

"Ugh, okay," Sara drew closer still, feeling her heart climb into her throat as she stood beside the chair, looking down into the blanched face. Her fingers flexed at her sides as she attempted to work up the courage to do what needed to be done. The connection needed to be severed, and the foreign object needed to be removed.

"Um…Ryder?" Sloane asked uncertainly, noticing the Pathfinder's actions.

Sara took a deep breath and blew it out in one go from her mouth, lifting her hand up to the woman's face.

"Sorry about this…" She muttered, and plunged her fingers into the eye socket. Immediately her stomach clenched in protest. She turned her head away, screwing her eyes shut tight as she fished around, trying to get a grip on the hard object.

This was so wrong. But at least the blood was cool. A small comfort. If it had been hot still, she didn't think she could do this. Finally, her fingers found purchase and she hooked the tiny camera out of the eye and dropped it to the ground, trying to ignore the sticky fluid on her fingers as she glowered down at the small lump of black plastic and glass.

"Lights out, you damn creep," she snarled and stomped down hard, grinding the heel of her boot onto the camera. She heard a crunch as the tech broke, then looked up at Sloane and Kaetus. Kaplan turned away from them and hunched over with his hands on his knees, taking deep breaths to settle his stomach.

Sloane made a soft noise in her throat, clearing it loudly with her lips pursed tightly shut, clearly attempting to pretend she didn't feel the need to empty her stomach.

"Was that necessary?" Kaetus asked, gesturing with one hand to the body.

"At least we're not being watched anymore," Sloane said, tone deceptively light.

Sara shook her hand at her side, feeling her skin crawl as she stared down at the thick mess that coated her fingers. She really didn't want to wipe it off on her trousers… "I will _never_ stop washing my hands."

"We should carry on with the examination," Sloane said.

"You mean, I should," Sara muttered, lifting her omni tool-again to continue scanning the corpse. "SAM?"

" _Rigor mortis and body temperature, combined with ambient temperature, suggest time of death is somewhere between four and six hours_ ," the AI told them, his tone soft and clinical. " _Cause of death appears to be exsanguination from the wound in her throat. Several of the major veins in her neck are severed. Analysis suggests a weapon with a thin metallic blade was used. The recording device was inserted into her eye post mortem. Running comparative DNA analysis now."_

The group remained silent as SAM relayed his findings. A moment later, he announced, " _Deceased is identified as Christie Rodriguez, resident of Outpost Ditaeon. No next of kin are listed_."

Kaetus broke the uneasy silence that followed, "So…Vidal tied her to a chair, gave her a hair cut, slit her throat, and stuffed a camera in her eye?" He didn't try to hide the disgust in his usually level voice.

"I guess that summarises it," Sara mumbled, looking back at him. She felt…numb. The horrors she had seen inflicted by the kett could be dealt with, compartmentalised in her brain as something terrible an evil race had done. This? She didn't know how to feel right now.

"The bastard," Sloane snarled, balling her fists at her sides.

Sara shook her head in disbelief. "I started this week watching my brother play soccer in the Eos tournaments. I didn't envision ending it with eye goo on my fingers, investigating a murder."

"I don't think anyone ever envisions murder ending their week," Kaetus said, mandibles bunching as he looked at the body, and releasing again as he turned to Sloane. "This is clearly a message for you, what do you want to do about it?"

Before she could answer, her omni-tool chimed an incoming message. She scowled and lifted her arm, bringing up the new message.

" _I see you've found dear Christie_!" Reyes chirped. Sara lurched forwards with a flare of anger, a few choice words already forming on her lips.

"It's a recorded message," Sloane stated.

Sara halted and grit her teeth, fingers clenching and unclenching angrily at her sides as she listened to Vidal's horrifically upbeat message.

" _Unfortunately for her she looks enough like you to be used for my little game. Just needed a hair cut, and she didn't even complain…Well. She did,"_ Reyes snorted with laughter, and Sara felt the anger building within her, bubbling like lava in her chest. " _Isn't it uncanny_?" He asked. And then his voice hardened, leaving no trace of the usual playfulness, " _next time it'll be you in the chair. And I won't make it quick_."

The message ended abruptly.

"Prick," Sloane spat, eyes smouldering as she dropped her arm. "And people call me crazy?" She looked almost accusingly between Kaetus and Sara.

"SAM, can you track it?" Sara asked, averting her gaze from Sloane's.

" _Negative, Pathfinder. It was bounced through several relays. Reyes has implemented several methods to prevent my tracking. Pinning down point of origin will be impossible_."

"Great," she muttered, scrubbing her hand against the rough fabric of her cargo pants, leaving a smear of dead blood. "Okay. Kaetus and Kaplan, can you two head into Ditaeon and see what you can find out about Rodriguez? I was…I was fucking _there_ yesterday," she grit her teeth in frustration, pushing a hand back through her hair. Time of death was sometime after midnight. Reyes had probably been at the outpost staking the place out while she was there, talking to Mayor Tate, oblivious. She was such an _idiot_.

"This isn't your fault, Ryder," Kaetus said in his approximation of a soothing tone. Sara made no reply, merely looked at him until he averted his gaze.

"What are we doing, then?" Sloane asked. Sara looked at her, then at their surroundings. At the walls, the floors, but they kept their secrets.

"There must be… _something_ here we can use. She was brought here, and Vidal or whoever did this to her left and went _somewhere_ and we're going to figure it out," she replied.

"Um, ma'am, how will we get to Ditaeon?" Kaplan asked suddenly. Sloane looked at him as though he had asked her which way was up, and he flinched. "I mean, it's just, you took the shuttle back to Port, so…"

"Take the Nomad," Sara sighed. "We'll call for a pick up when we need it."

"I'm driving," Kaetus announced and hurried out of the cave.

Sloane huffed and hooked her thumbs into her belt, glancing around herself, at the body, at the cave floor, the walls, eyes narrowed in concentration.

"You think she was picked up at the outpost?" She asked, walking towards a mark on the floor and nudging it with the toe of one boot.

"Unless she was out exploring the badlands in the middle of the night…" Sara replied, crouching beside the throne, the obvious place to look for…anything that might help them.

" _I detect hair and epithelial cells beneath her fingernails, Pathfinder_ ," SAM told her.

"Epi-whatnow?" Sloane asked.

" _Hair and_ -"

"Skin cells…" Sara interrupted softly. "So, she fought. Probably hard."

Sloane threw quizzical look in her direction. "Wouldn't you?"

Sara's eyes flicked to Sloane, back to the woman, and was struck again by how similar they appeared. She wondered what Christie Rodriguez was like in life. How her hair looked before it was butchered by Vidal. Was she as cynical as Sloane, or had she been filled with hope?

She reached for the straps pinning her limbs to the chair, finding the fastenings welded to the metal arms and legs and undoing them. Her fingers brushed the woman's bare arms and Sara hid a shudder, feeling the flesh cold and hard like marble. Deep purple bruising marred the skin where the woman had struggled against her restraints. Sara's simmering rage threatened to break. She felt her fingers trembling and shoved her fringe out of her face again.

"She fought so hard to live," she said, her voice a snarl, choked with sorrow, "and he killed her, for what? To send a message? He couldn't just write you like everyone else? Or-or send a holovid?"

"It's Vidal, he's big with the theatrics," Sloane threw up one hand, motioning to the grisly scene before them. "The duel, remember? Bloody pistols at dawn."

"I swear he used to just be all…back-stabby," Sara grumbled, standing again and passing one hand over the woman's face to close her eyes. Or…eye now, she supposed. "Sorry…" She mumbled again.

"Yeah, well, now he's all psychotic," Sloane replied bitterly. "Couldn't you have shot him properly when he was escaping us? Would've saved a lot of trouble."

Sara's head whipped round to fix Sloane with a glare. "So sorry! I was busy suppressing a sniper at the time, if you recall?"

"I'd have been just fine without your help, Ryder," Sloane growled dangerously.

Sara ignored the warning tone. "Yeah, I've heard being shot in the face with a sniper does wonders for one's health. I saved your ass, Sloane, now cut me some slack!"

"Shut up and look for clues," Sloane snapped, stalking towards the back of the cave, inadvertently following the path a fleeing Charlatan had taken so many months before.

Sara sighed and shook her head. Sloane's volatile nature had become exacerbated by the stress of this threat. Not that the difference was all that noticeable.

"We'll get you home soon," she murmured to the corpse of Christie Rodriguez, then turned her back and made her way outside. The sun felt warm on her skin after the chill, damp air of the cave, but still she shivered. Kadara was meant to be a break from galivanting around the galaxy solving the problems of others.

She should have picked Aya…

" _Pathfinder, I have analysed the cells beneath Ms Rodriguez's fingernails. It's a direct match for Reyes Vidal_ ," SAM said, using their personal channel.

Sara sighed and nodded her head. "Thank you, SAM."

Confirmation. Undeniable proof that Reyes was here somewhere. Sloane would be thrilled.

"Ryder, get in here," Sloane's voice barked from within the cave.

Speak of the devil…

Sara turned and trudged back into the cave, eyes darting around. Sloane was nowhere to be seen. Sara made her way forwards, passed the chair and the body, passed the generator to the back of the cave where a tunnel stretched back to a second cave mouth with a natural shelf jutting out. Sloane was crouched there with her back to Sara.

"What've you found?" Sara asked. Sloane pointed at the ground.

"Scorch marks from a shuttle or something. Pretty fresh," she rubbed the fingers and thumb of one hand together, held up her hand to show Sara blackened smudges on her fingertips.

"A shuttle would leave a trackable chem trail, right?" Sara said, halting beside Sloane and looking down at the charred dirt and rock. "SAM?"

" _Correct, Pathfinder_ ," the AI responded, using the open channel between their omni-tools, " _unfortunately this shuttle was a Kodiak, one of the most common models used currently in Kadara, and the trail is several hours old. It has dispersed mostly. What I can detect suggests a Westerly direction_."

"Oh, good," Sloane said sarcastically as she stood up, dusting off her palms. "We'll just search the entire West of Kadara."

"It's better than nothing," Sara pointed out.

"No, it's still nothing," Sloane said angrily. "Vidal is here, he's murdered some woman, threatened me, and we have _nothing_ ," she kicked viscously at a loose stone, watching it arc out over the valley below. "Ugh, I can't wait for my intel officer to get back. She can figure this out." She passed a hand over her head, running her fingers back over her braids and staring out over Kadara.

Sara did a double take, "your intel- spy. You have a spy."

Sloane closed up, looking cagey. "Yes…"

Sara felt a stab of frustration. "Well, she's doing a great job if this took you by surprise," Sara swept a hand behind them, gesturing to the cave. A low blow, she knew, but they were all feeling the strain.

"To be fair, she's off world. And it's a new position," Sloane said in a rare moment of defence for someone in her employ, "after you…saved my life," another comment that had Sara blinking in surprise. "We're still figuring it out. She's quelled a rebellion though."

Sara stilled at her use of the word 'quelled' and studied her carefully for a moment. "Did you murder someone? Put heads on pikes?"

"No," Sloane said defensively. Sara continued to watch her suspiciously. "We didn't!" Sloane insisted. "Kadara has a different justice system to you Nexus idiots, but I can be reasonable. Unlike Tann." She glowered at Sara.

"Right," Sara sighed, keying up a comm channel on her omni-tool. "I'm calling for a pick up."


	4. Theron

**A/N: Short interlude/flashback!**

* * *

 _Rain hammered the dig site, turning dirt into rivers of mud, and rock into slick black slippery patches of certain doom. Sara had lost her footing more than once while traversing the uneven terrain from the main dig to the research centre (a name that suggested a much more extravagant building than the large trailer it actually was) and various other areas on site, and almost broken an ankle several times. Once it was in front of Theron, who had been laughing too much to help her back onto her feet, much to Sara's chagrin._

 _She currently sat on a crate beneath a waterproof awning with Theron, sipping hot coffee from a flask. A small heat lamp sat on a third crate between them both as they watched over the dig site, Theron on duty and Sara keeping her company. Machinery loomed dark and silent in the pit below them, crouched like great beasts in the night time shadows as rain plinked softly from metal casing and pattered against the waterproof tarps that had been pulled over trenches. Water pooled in the hollows of the fabric, shimmering in the bright white illumination of flood lights._

 _Thunder rumbled overhead and the world was lit briefly by a blinding white flash of lightning. Machinery and trailers stood out in sharp contrast to the shadows beyond them. Theron sighed wearily and shoved one palm straight up against their awning as it began to sag dangerously low. Water gushed off to the side, splashing against Sara's boots and rushing away to merge with the multitude of puddles that surrounded them._

" _So, this is fun," Theron announced, rubbing a splatter of mud from the armour covering one knee. She inspected the dirt on her glove, then looked sideways at Sara._

 _Sara snorted. "Yeah. I could be in bed right now, but instead I somehow let you talk me into sitting out here with you," she teased, resting her flask against her thigh. White steam curled up from the open top, carrying the scent of coffee into the chill air._

" _You love it." Theron winked at her. Sara could only grin. Ever since the pirate attack she and Theron had become thick as thieves. Which was kind of ironic considering the higher-ups' current line of investigation… Sara's smile faltered as she remembered that awkward conversation; her alone facing the site manager, lead researchers, and head of security as they fired question after question and scrutinised her answers._

 _Theron's playful smile dropped and her brow knit in concern, her own flask of coffee pausing halfway to her mouth as she caught the change in Sara's expression. "What's wrong?"_

 _Sara shook her head and glanced away from her to hide her face, looking back over the dig site as she gathered her thoughts._

" _We're friends, right?" She asked after a moment._

" _Sure," Theron replied, lowering her flask without drinking anything. "I mean…I think so?" Sara's demeanour was making her second guess though._

" _Yeah, we are," Sara said softly. "Stupid question, sorry."_

" _Ryder…Are you gonna declare your undying love to me?" Theron elbowed her in the ribs and bounced her eyebrows suggestively. Sara laughed and shoved her hard enough to knock her from her crate. Theron quickly braced with one leg against the ground and righted herself, giving her a cheeky grin and pressing a hand to her heart. "Awww, Ryder…I'm flattered!"_

" _Oh, shut up, you idiot," Sara said, rolling her eyes. Her good humour vanished quickly and she heaved a sigh. "It's just, some of the researchers' finds have been going missing lately," she kept her gaze fixed on the dig site while carefully studying Theron out of the corner of one eye._

" _No…?" The mercenary replied slowly in disbelief, grey eyes wide and innocent as she watched Sara through the steam coiling from the neck of her own flask. "So that's what you Alliance guys have been looking into?"_

 _Sara nodded her head gravely, turning to look at Theron properly. Theron and her troupe of mercs had been left in the dark about the whole thing, for obvious reasons. "Yeah. Someone's stealing and…maybe selling stuff on. To collectors or the black market. We're not sure yet, but…" she hesitated. Theron's eyebrows twitched upward slightly, waiting for the rest of the statement. Sara forged on, "but we think we know who it is. It's only a matter of time."_

" _For real?" Theron asked, voice going high with shock. Sara had to commend her. She gave nothing away in her expression. "Damn." A pause as she sipped at her coffee, then looked away to regard the dig site. "Shit weather, huh?"_

 _The next day Theron was gone without a trace._


	5. Chapter 3

"No one knows anything," Kaetus spoke bitterly, voice pitched low as Sloane, Sara, and he gathered in Outcast Headquarters. The usual turian drawl was suffused with contempt.

Sloane was draped over her throne, leaving the others standing. She had sent her guards scurrying away with little more than an irritated grunt, leaving Sara, Kaetus, and the queen herself the sole occupants of the 'throne room'. Kaplan had been dismissed, much to Sara's relief. He seemed to spend most of his time staring at her in awe and it was beginning to spook her. That and there was… _something_ about him that she couldn't place. Something behind the clueless awkwardness. He had her on edge.

With Kaplan gone that meant the job of relating their findings at the outpost fell to Kaetus, and the turian made no effort to hide the frustration in his voice. "They didn't even know Rodriguez was missing until we told Tate she was dead," Christmas Tate, mayor of Ditaeon. Great guy, weird name. "No friends, no family, no one knows a thing about her," he ticked them off on his claws, then shook his head and dropped his arms to his sides, "just that she was brought out of cryo after Meridian was brought online and chose to come to Kadara. She might as well have been a ghost. The outpost has no security camera network yet, so we have no way of finding out what happened. It's a dead end."

He looked from Sara to Sloane and shrugged his narrow shoulders. Sara studied him quietly. She still found it hard to read turians, but even she could hear the agitation in his strange double-toned voice, see the extra tension in his lanky frame. And there was more than a little pity for Christie Rodriguez mixed in there.

Silence followed his revelation, then, "a nobody," Sloane said coldly. Sara felt a stab of annoyance and whipped her head round to fix the woman with a look of reproach. Sloane leaned back in her chair, expression resigned. "He picked a nobody. Abducted her without anyone noticing and killed her."

"Yes," Kaetus stared at her unblinkingly.

"So, we have no leads. We don't know what Vidal is doing, or where he is," Sloane's eyes flashed angrily as she met his gaze. She twisted in her seat and slammed her feet down onto the floor, resting her palms on her knees as though she were about to leap up, spring into action. She didn't move.

"Well, we know he intends to piss you off and exact revenge on you," Sara pointed out.

Kaetus and Sloane both turned their eyes to the Pathfinder, who felt incredibly glad she had chosen to stand at the edge of the raised platform Sloane's chair occupied as she looked between them both innocently. Both had learned to fix their targets with a look of such intensity it was a wonder Sara didn't burst into flame on the spot.

"What? It's true," she said. "It's been, what? Three, four hours since you found the body. You can't expect to have solved a murder and found the murderer in that time, especially since you're looking for _that_ manipulative bastard," the leader of the Collective was the master of hiding, after all. "Give it time."

"Give it time," Sloane repeated, voice dangerously level, nodding her head in a short, sharp motion. "I'll remember that when I have a fucking _knife_ stuck between my shoulders," she snarled at Sara.

Sara held up her hands in a placating motion. "I understand you're angry-"

"Yes, I'm angry!" Sloane shouted and shot to her feet, taking a threatening step forwards and raising one hand to jab a finger towards Sara's chest. She got as far as opening her mouth to continue speaking before she was interrupted by a new voice.

"Now, now, ladies!" English, female, taunting.

Sara's back straightened as though a bolt of electricity had shot down the length of her spine, and her skin grew cold, eyes widening. She recognized that voice.

Kaetus half-turned to look behind them, tipping his head in greeting, as Sloane shifted her attention to the newcomer in surprise.

"When did you get back?" She asked.

"Like, five minutes ago," the woman answered, a smile in her voice.

Boots on metal, the familiar sound of armour plates moving against each other, getting closer. Sara spun round on her heel to stare in shock at her. How? _How_?

She was tall and fair skinned, stormy grey eyes locked straight on to Sara as though she had expected to see the Pathfinder. Her jet-black hair was pulled into a long pony tail at the back of her neck that fell well passed her shoulders, the sides shaved to a close buzz. A thin white scar bisected her upper and lower lip on the left side. Light armour tinted black covered most of her frame, but Sara knew her right arm and both hands bore black tattoos of glyphs in some alien tongue.

Theron casually leaned her assault rifle up against one shoulder, stock in her palm, muzzle to the ceiling, and smirked, clearly enjoying the reaction she was receiving.

"What's the matter, Ryder? You look like you've seen a ghost," she spoke with that oh-so familiar teasing lilt, teeth showing in a grin, eyes laughing. The same old playful Theron Wylde that Sara had thought she had seen the back of in the Milky Way.

Nope. Nopenopenope. This wasn't happening. Of all the people in the damn galaxy that Sloane could have chosen to hire as an expert in whatever it was this woman did now she had to pick this low-life, thieving, back-stabbing, unreliable piece of-

"You two know each other?" Kaetus asked in surprise, looking between the smirking Theron and the, quite obviously, horrified Sara. It didn't take a genius to work out Sara was upset. His eyes darted worriedly to Sloane, but she seemed indifferent.

"Sure, we do!" Theron cried enthusiastically. "Me and Ryder go _way_ back." She strode confidently forwards and reached out a hand to clap Sara on the back.

Sara twisted out of her grasp and glared at her. "Don't touch me," she hissed. "Traitor."

"Aw, admit it, you missed me!" Theron grinned at her.

Sara grit her teeth, seriously considering giving up finding Reyes and returning to the Tempest and just fleeing Kadara altogether. Sloane could figure this out herself with her filthy liar of a sidekick. " _What_ are you doing here?" She snarled through a locked jaw. She could feel her blood pressure skyrocketing the longer she stared at Theron's overly friendly face.

"Um, I work and live here," Theron said with a shrug.

"Right," Sara said stiffly, voice dripping with disbelief. She sharply folded her arms, as though protecting herself, jaw set, eyes blazing. "What did you steal this time?"

"Ryder, I'm hurt!" Theron fixed her with a pretty good approximation of puppy dog eyes, touching her fingers to her breastplate.

"Seriously?!" Sara demanded, turning to stare at Sloane. "Why is she here?"

Sloane twitched an eyebrow in response. "She's my intel-…spy."

Theron grinned proudly, propping one hand on her hip as Sara turned slowly to face her, blue eyes murderous.

" _What_?" Sara hissed. What in the seven hells had she done to deserve this?

"And smuggler, hacker, and enforcer," Sloane added, dropping back into her chair and leaning back casually.

"You forgot 'thief'," Sara spat contemptuously, eyes burning into Theron's.

Theron reached over her shoulder to holster her rifle, metal clicking together as it compacted itself and locked in place against the armour protecting her shoulder blade. She rolled her eyes and fixed Sara with an incredulous look. "That happened over six hundred years ago, Ryder, maybe let it go?"

Sara's mouth fell open in shock as she stared at Theron. Kaetus and Sloane exchanged a wary glance, sensing the tension escalating rapidly. From Sara, at least. Theron seemed unfazed, confused even.

"Let it go?" Sara repeated incredulously. She felt coiled tighter than a krogan ready to rampage, anger simmering dangerously in her gut. She could feel her heart throbbing behind her ribs, Theron's casual manner egging her on. "Let it _go_?! Do you even _get_ what you did?!"

Theron shrugged her shoulders dismissively and spread her arms. "I stole some crap and sold it on," she said. "But those were different times. We're in a new galaxy, facing new challenges, so-"

"No!" Sara cried sharply, voice raw and trembling with emotion. "You do not get to just glaze over this!" Theron blinked, watching Sara as if seeing her for the first time. "The 'crap' you stole and sold was the life work of some of the researchers! Those artefacts could have been the missing link, the proof that turned theory into fact, and you just took it and sold it to line your own pockets without even a second thought for those of us it affected. I thought we were friends! I _trusted_ you and the whole time you were going behind my back using _my_ work to make a quick few credits. And then, as if that wasn't bad enough, when you decided it was time to escape you stole my personal access codes for the shuttles. Did you even _think_ about how that would look?! I was investigated as an accomplice!" Sara stared at her, chest heaving after her outburst. She was pleased to see some of the humour leave Theron's eyes, expression becoming serious for the briefest of moments.

"Well, when you put it like that…" Theron gave a wry smile. "It was a shitty thing to do, and I'm sorry for that. But…I did save your life once, so call it quits?" She asked hopefully.

Sara gaped at her for a full ten seconds before throwing herself towards her with an angry shout. Kaetus managed to catch her and stop her from barrelling into Theron, who snapped her head back out of the reach of Sara's grasping hands and raised one eyebrow.

"I'm still sensing some hostility," she commented.

"You're really not helping that," Sloane told her drily, watching the events unfold curiously.

"I wish you hadn't saved my life!" Sara shouted, still struggling in Kaetus' surprisingly strong arms as he tried to wrestle her further away from Theron.

"Then you'd be dead," Theron pointed out.

"Better dead than friends with a liar!" Sara spat, going rigid in Kaetus' arms but making no further moves to escape. He let go and stepped back after a moment, eyes still on her in case he needed to catch her again, keeping his body between them. Sara glared into his chest, fists clenched at her sides.

"Aw, you don't mean that," Theron replied with a mock pout, as though the minor scuffle hadn't happened. "Besides, it was you who tipped me off about the higher-ups being on to me."

"I did _not_ tip you off!" Sara spluttered angrily, trying to look around Kaetus to glare at her. The turian kept moving with her, keeping his frame between them.

"Sure, you did!" Theron said.

Sara grit her teeth. She effectively had tipped her off, after all. Theron wouldn't have known about the investigation, or how close the Alliance had been to figuring her out, had Sara kept her mouth shut. "It wasn't meant to be that way!"

"Well, my side business wasn't meant as a personal affront to you but look how that turned out." Theron folded her arms over her chest and glowered off to one side, looking, for the first time since showing her face, somewhat guilty over the matter.

"Ugh, you're impossible!" If looks could kill, Sara's would have nuked half of Kadara.

"And you love it." Theron winked at her as she saw Sara's face appear under Kaetu's arm. Sara tensed but made no further moves to attack and so Kaetus finally decided to back down.

"All right?" He asked Sara, severe eyes searching her face for signs she would suddenly fly into a rage again.

Sara took a deep breath and let it out slowly, staring without seeing at his armoured chest. Her muscles were locked tight enough to cause her to tremble. She willed them to uncoil and relax with each low exhalation until she felt relatively in control. She flicked her eyes up to meet his and nodded her head.

Kaetus moved to the side and folded his arms. "Good."

"If she tries to punch you," Sloane said, tipping her head to look at Theron, "I won't stop her."

Theron nodded, turning her gaze back to Sara as the Pathfinder stood glowering at her. "That's fair."

Sara's brilliant blue eyes burned with a barely concealed fury as they met Theron's gaze. Theron had the grace to meet her stare meekly.

Intelligence officer, spy, whatever, Sara knew what it was that Sloane wanted from her.

"I can't work with her," she announced, turning to face Sloane, whose eyes flicked up to meet Sara's as she slowly raised one eyebrow. "There's…history."

"Clearly," Sloane remarked drily.

Theron had the sense to stay quiet.

Sloane leaned back in her chair, looking apathetically at Sara. "And I know," she added. And she did. Theron had spoken to her about it, when Sloane fired off a message earlier that morning stating her plans to have the Pathfinder and her old friend look into Vidal's return. Theron seemed to find the whole thing hilarious. Sloane thought it was a dick move, but whatever. Theron knew her stuff and had proved incredibly useful. Who was she to judge? "Tough. You're just going to have to get over it."

Sara bristled. "It's not the kind of history you just 'get over'," she said, tone dangerous.

"Try," Sloane said forcefully. "This isn't just an attack on me or Kadara, it's an attack on the Nexus too. If you're too petty to step up and do something about it, then go and I'll sort it out by myself. But remember to tell your 'leaders' you walked away."

"You don't understand-"

"I do," Sloane interrupted angrily, leaning forwards in the chair to fix Sara with a dark look. She saw the moment Sara realised that Sloane did indeed understand, that Sloane knew exactly what had happened and didn't care. Hurt mixed with anger in those brilliant blue eyes and, dare she admit it, Sloane felt a little bad for her.

"Look, Ryder, you don't _have_ to be here. Much as I'd love to, I can't force you to help me, but you're good at what you do and so is Theron. I know what she did, and I _know_ how you feel." She knew exactly how Sara felt, knew the feeling of doing nothing wrong, of being in the wrong place at the wrong time and being punished for it. However, where Sara had merely been threatened with action, Sloane actually had been given the boot, and so her sympathies and goodwill only stretched so far. "Hell, I did everything right on the Nexus, I tried to help, to diffuse the situation, and that got me exiled. _You_ were investigated as a consequence of Theron's actions and got to keep your job. And, much as I want to never look at any of you Nexus twats ever again," Kaetus shot her a look as though to warn her off lacing her tone with further venom which she carefully ignored, "I still work with you _and_ I came to the aid of your stupid ark, so, put on your big girl panties and _deal_ with it."

"With Theron," Sara said bitterly, knowing she would never live that one down with her old friend. Theron loved to tease.

"Yes, with bloody Theron!" Sloane snapped, clearly done with being reasonable.

"Fine." She couldn't forget the things Theron had put her through, had made her feel, but she could at least set them aside until all this was over. Sloane was right. Reyes had to be dealt with. Weird messages and threats could be forgiven. Murdered colonists couldn't.

"Standing right here…" Theron muttered. Sara spun round to face her fast enough for Kaetus to twitch an arm up ready to catch her again.

"You can get the run down from these two," Sara snarled, anger bubbling away again. "I'll come and find you tomorrow."

So saying the Pathfinder shoved passed Theron and stormed out of Outcast headquarters.

* * *

Anger raged hot and tight in the centre of Sara's chest as she stalked through Kadara, thoughts buzzing furiously. Her emotions were in chaos, shock, fury, hurt, confusion, all whirling into one hot mess. Her muscles thrummed with the need to take action. She hadn't realized where she was heading until her feet carried her up the landing ramp of Tempest and the bay doors hissed open to admit her.

She stood motionless in the cargo bay, at a loss, as the doors closed again behind her. Inside her ship the air smelled cool and clean, sterile even. Totally different to the hot, dusty air of Kadara. It was almost soothing to be breathing the air of _her_ ship, an area she was most definitely in control of. Almost.

Again, she considered just ordering the crew to leave Kadara. But she couldn't. Reyes Vidal had murdered a woman in cold blood and broadcast that fact to Sloane. He had been watching for her reaction. And he claimed to be coming for her next. Whatever he was planning, it wouldn't be good, people would get hurt. Sara had to stay.

And work with Theron.

She ground her teeth, hands clenching into tight fists at her sides until her knuckles grew white and her bones ached, feeling her pulse jump in her throat.

"Are you just going to stand there?" Gil asked nervously. Her head twitched towards the voice. He was stood beside the Nomad, newly cleaned after its adventure in the Badlands. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows as he worked on the vehicle, going through the usual routine checks that followed the use of a piece of their equipment. Making sure things were still in working order. A smudge of oil darkened one cheek and his hands were filthy.

"I need to punch something," Sara said suddenly.

Gil's mouth fell open in surprise. "Uh… Not me, I hope?"

"Where's the punchbag?"

During their longer stints off-world the crew needed somewhere to train, to exercise. That somewhere was the cargo bay, usually the largest free space on board. They had limited equipment and limited space to use but it worked.

"Usual place," Gil said, pointing an oil-blackened finger towards one of the storage lockers bolted to the opposite wall. Sara made her way over stiffly. "Um, should I- I should go."

Gil hurriedly cleared away his tools, leaving them stacked on one of the work benches as he fled the cargo bay. Sara paid him no heed as she keyed the code into the locker, jerked open the door and hauled out the crews' punchbag. She kicked the door closed as she turned and lifted the heavy bag onto one shoulder looking up towards the walkway above her where a hook had been bolted into the metal. She reached up, arms straining against the weight of the bag, and locked the carabiner into place, then let the bag swing free. She stepped back, pulled off her hoody, dropped it to the floor and let rip, ramming one fist into the centre of the bag, following up with the other. She felt the impact of each punch judder up her arms, throwing her full weight behind every strike and growling with the effort. It wasn't a punchbag she struck, but Theron Wylde. Her smirking, unapologetic face, pummelled beneath Sara's fists.

It wasn't long before the rough material of the bag began to tear the skin of her knuckles.

* * *

"Theron-" a dull thud as a fist connected with the punchbag, "Wylde-" loud grunt, dull thud, "piece-" _thud_ , "of-" _thud_ , "fucking-" _thud_ , "crap!" Each word was punctuated by an angry jab at the punchbag. One after another after another and showing no sign of letting up.

Cora wasn't entirely sure how long Sara had been at it before SAM had decided to alert the second-in-command to the Pathfinder's current state. A while, judging by the way strands of Sara's long dark hair clung to her face with sweat.

She stood hands clasping the walkway railing, leaning over to stare down into the cargo bay below, concern mounting. She knew why SAM had summoned her, but she was the wrong choice.

"Wow, poor punch bag," Peebee commented as she sidled up beside Cora, tone light with amusement.

"Peebee, go get Suvi," Cora said without looking. Peebee rolled her eyes as Cora used her 'authority voice', as the asari had dubbed it, but knew she was outranked and so sauntered away to do as she had been ordered. "SAM, you should have called Suvi," she said disapprovingly, pushing off from the railing to fold her arms. She kept her eyes trained on Sara below, brows heavy.

" _Apologies, lieutenant. I thought, perhaps, a figure of authority might be better_."

"I think getting Suvi involved for any problem with Sara is probably the safest bet," Cora replied. She knew Sara respected her, but that wasn't what the Pathfinder needed right now.

" _Noted_ ," SAM said simply.

Cora glanced back over her shoulder as she heard footsteps approaching from behind to see Suvi hurrying towards her, expression worried.

"What's going on?" She asked, brow knit, turquoise eyes on Cora's. "Peebee said something's wrong with Sara?"

"See for yourself," Cora indicated, with a jerk of her head, Sara down in the cargo bay, relentlessly whaling on the punchbag. The Pathfinder grunted with effort with each vicious jab. The bag shook and rattled in its chains, Sara's fists connecting with dull meaty smacks.

"Oh, shite…" Suvi breathed. She had never seen her lover in such a temper before. Even from her position on the walkway above she could see the cold fury that hardened Sara's features.

Cora nodded in agreement. "Gil's locked himself away and Lexi-"

"Won't be necessary," Suvi interrupted, looking up at Cora. "It's probably something Sloane said." Sara and Sloane were as stubborn as each other and their meetings often ended with one or the other in a foul temper. Usually Sloane after Sara had spent the majority of the time winding her up.

Cora shook her head in disagreement. "She mentioned Theron," she said in a way that suggested Suvi should know the name.

Suvi looked at her blankly, relatively certain Sara had never mentioned the name to her. A forceful grunt and a loud smack from the cargo bay drew her attention downwards once more. "You can leave this with me, I'll talk her down," she assured Cora, already moving away towards one of the ladders that lead down into the cargo bay.

She clambered down as fast as she could and crossed the room to Sara, watching her angrily slam her fists into the heavy material in front of her. Suvi flinched with each strike. Sara had to be hurting herself.

"Sara," she said quietly, approaching her cautiously. Sara glowered at the punchbag with laser-focus and Suvi wasn't entirely sure how her interruption would be taken, with further frustration or relief.

It turned out she needn't have worried. As soon as Sara heard her voice she paused mid-strike and peered around the bag, placing her palms flat against the material to still it as it swung back towards her. Her chest heaved, and her skin felt hot and sweaty.

"Suvi," she said in surprise. "What are you-"

"Cora called me," Suvi interrupted, glancing at Sara's hands and wincing as she took in the ragged bleeding skin across her knuckles. "Sara…"

Sara followed her gaze and looked down at her hands. Now that she had stopped, now the adrenaline and rage were ebbing away, she could feel the pain. Hot and burning, aching inside. Her fingers and wrists throbbed. She should have taken the time to wrap her hands.

"I was angry," she mumbled, dropping her forehead against the punchbag in defeat. She shouldn't have allowed her emotions to consume her like that. Especially over Theron, she wasn't worth it. What an idiot.

"Did it help?" Suvi asked, leaning against the other side of the punchbag and watching the frustrated Pathfinder sympathetically.

"Beating up a punchbag is strangely cathartic, yes," Sara muttered, pushing back and standing straight to look down at Suvi. "I've had the worst day..." she said mournfully.

Suvi's eyes creased with compassion and she reached out a hand for Sara's fingers, but Sara snatched her hand away. "No, don't, I have someone's eye goo on my hand."

Suvi blinked at her, leaving her hand hovering in mid-air as she tried, and failed, to process that. "I…What?"

Sara pushed her fingers back through sweat-damp hair, frowning at the floor. "I need a shower…" She said, letting her hand swing down to her side and flicking her eyes back up to meet Suvi's. "Then I'll tell you everything."

* * *

Suvi had waited impatiently in the Pathfinder's quarters as Sara showered, unable to sit still as she fretted over what exactly had thrown her lover into such a black mood. Dire scenario after dire scenario ran through her mind. The vault was failing. The kett were back. Sloane pissed someone off enough to start another civil war.

When Sara finally entered the room, dressed in clean clothes and towelling her long hair dry, Suvi was pacing a trench in the floor. Her turquoise eyes anxiously sought out Sara's and were met with a sloped smile not entirely devoid of humour.

"Calm down," Sara told her, reading Suvi's thoughts in her expression. She chucked the towel onto her desk and used her fingers to comb the tangles out of her hair. "It's not the end of the world."

Suvi wasn't convinced, though Sara had been known to be melodramatic in the past. She had not, however, to the best of Suvi's knowledge, beaten her hands bloody in a fit of anger before. "You're feeling better…?" She asked tentatively.

"Calmer," Sara answered vaguely as she sat on the edge of her bed, embarrassed by the outburst Suvi had witnessed. Suvi followed suit, perching beside her and studying the Pathfinder's expression carefully.

"What happened?" She asked when Sara made no move to explain.

Sara let out a slow sigh and leaned back on her hands, dropping her gaze to the floor and furrowing her brow. "Where to start…"

"I find the beginning usually helps," Suvi remarked. Sara looked up at her with a soft smile, expecting the comment to be playfully sarcastic, but Suvi's expression was earnest. "Why did Sloane want you?"

"You're not gonna like it," Sara warned. Suvi arched one eyebrow, and so Sara began to relate that morning's events, explaining Sloane's uncharacteristic nerves, the trip to the fateful cave, the dead body and Vidal's involvement.

Suvi pressed her hands to her mouth, eyes wide with horror. As Sara described her efforts to remove the hidden camera from the corpse's eye the science officer felt her stomach tremor with revulsion and screwed up her features in sympathy.

"That's…" She began but had no idea how to finish the sentence. She looked helplessly to Sara, who pulled a wry face and nodded in agreement with the unspoken sentiments.

"Yup," she said, dropping her gaze and rubbing her thumb against one knee, finding a loose thread in her trousers and picking at it. "But that's not all…"

Sara began to tell Suvi about her past with Theron Wylde, and the emotional meeting back in Outcast headquarters in Kadara Port. Suvi's horror swiftly gave way to sorrow and anger on Sara's behalf at the _injustice_ of it all.

"-and then you found me beating up the exercise equipment," Sara finished wearily, laying her hands flat on her knees and eyeing up the damaged knuckles. Washed of blood the wounds looked raw and angry, the skin torn and ragged. Lexi would chew her out...

"Oh, Sara..." Suvi mumbled sadly, winding her arms around Sara's chest and burying her face in still-damp raven hair. That really was just about the worst day since the Archon's attempt to exult the galaxy. Waking up with a nightmare-induced panic attack followed by investigating a murder committed by a bitter ex-friend and then, as if that wasn't enough, coming face to face with _another_ ex-friend that had almost ruined her career.

Not to mention, if Vidal really was on Kadara then he _had_ to know the Tempest was docked at the Port. Would he be gunning for Sara?

"We should just leave," Suvi said suddenly, pulling back to look at the Pathfinder. Sara's head snapped up in surprise, but she could see already the conflict in Suvi's eyes.

"You don't mean that...?"

Suvi chewed at her lower lip as she shook her head guiltily. "Of course, I don't," she muttered. "Do you want me to come with you tomorrow? When you meet up again."

With Theron. Ugh. Despite the frustration she felt at a second meeting with Sloane's god-awful spy, or whatever the hell she was, Sara couldn't help a small grin. She shot a playful look at Suvi, teasing her, "what, you want to fight for my honour?"

"I can be feisty," Suvi matched her tone.

"Oh, I know," Sara sniggered and pressed a brief kiss to Suvi's lips. "And, thank you, but no. I want to check out Rodriguez's quarters in Ditaeon. Maybe there's a reason Reyes chose her."

"Like…she was working for him?" Suvi asked, and Sara nodded.

"Or a connection to Sloane or something. I don't know," she gave an agitated sigh, dropping her head to Suvi's shoulder. Suvi's fingers automatically began working their way through Sara's hair to soothe her. "I think the real reason is, I want to feel like I'm doing something. And, hey, maybe I can lock Theron in a cupboard and leave her there, problem solved, huh?"

"Um…Won't she just hack her way back out?" Suvi asked pointedly.

Sara gave a sulky pout. "Ruin my fun…"


	6. Chapter 4

The Kadaran sunlight-or _star_ light, Sara supposed. Sol had been left far behind in the Milky Way-was warm on her back as she waited just outside of the port. She leaned her butt against one of the Nomads immense wheels and folded her arms, impatiently watching the squat grey building before her nestled amongst the opening in the rocky cliff-face that sheltered the slums. A wire fence topped with razor wire stretched either side of the building in an effort to block off the cavern from the Badlands. It was Kadara's attempt at customs, keeping undesirables out in the Badlands, but anyone committed enough could easily vault the fence. Sara had done so on more than one occasion with the aid of her jumpjets, much to the chagrin of the Warden.

The door of the Warden's office finally slid open and Theron sauntered out in her civvies-light trousers, boots, jacket over a tank top-flashing Sara a wide grin as she strode forwards, leaving Kadara's slums for Haarfel. Sara felt her annoyance rising already, and Theron hadn't even opened her mouth yet.

That didn't last long.

"Mornin', Ryder!" Theron called brightly, frowning to shade her eyes against the brilliant daylight and spreading her arms wide. Sara stiffened, expecting Theron to hug her for one horrifying moment, but instead the taller woman laced her fingers behind her head and halted in front of the Pathfinder. The movement lifted her jacket enough to reveal a collapsed pistol in a holster at her hip, the only hint that they were heading into dangerous territory.

Sara, herself, had opted out of wearing armour in favour of comfortable cargoes and boots, with a light jacket over her white-and-blue Initiative shirt, her own pistol holstered at her side.

"Morning…" She replied, not bothering to conceal the surliness in her voice.

Theron didn't seem to notice, having eyes only for one thing. "Nice wheels," she commented, circling the Nomad, eyes flicking over the polished white chrome appreciatively. "Can I drive?" She asked hopefully, looking up at Sara.

"Absolutely not," Sara pushed off from the wheel she leaned against and hit the door release controls, not missing the look of disappointment on Theron's face. "Just get in," she muttered, knowing she was being a jerk but not in the mood for exchanging niceties.

Theron eagerly hopped inside and started strapping in. Sara shot her a bitter look as she climbed into the driver's seat and closed the doors. Theron hadn't changed at all in the time since she had last seen the woman, and it frustrated her. The enthusiasm and playfulness was just so… _her_ and she was struggling to equate this woman with the friend that had stolen priceless artefacts and implicated Sara in a criminal investigation.

"This is awesome," Theron said, leaning forwards in her chair to look over the glowing high-tech controls of the vehicle as the engine rumbled to life.

"Touch _nothing_ ," Sara warned her, controlling the Nomad carefully around the wide pool of deep water outside of Kadara Port. She watched Theron settle back in her chair, relaxing, and flicked her thumb against the booster control. Immediately the Nomad surged forwards, charging down the road a breakneck speed with enough force to pin both women into their seats.

Theron just laughed.

Sara glowered out of the windshield and set course for Ditaeon.

* * *

At sixty-one years of age Mayor Christmas Tate was the oldest of the outpost leaders, but that far from made him a pushover. He was a seasoned miner with a gruff, but easy voice and a no-nonsense attitude. He stood waiting for Sara and Theron just outside his outpost with his hands on his hips, squinting into the sun as he watched the Nomad approach.

Sara pulled off the road, parking the Nomad out of the way amongst tall grass and rough little bushes that served no purpose other than to squat close to the ground in tiny spiky mounds. Sulphur, weeds and grass, Kadara offered little else. Tate slowly made his way over to them with long, easy strides.

"Wow, you drive like a maniac!" Theron cried gleefully as she clambered out of the Nomad and hopped down, sending Tate a curious glance. She had never met the man before, never even been to Ditaeon, though she supposed she should have by now. Might come in handy, making contacts at the outpost.

"So I hear…" Sara grumbled as she followed Theron out into the warm Kadaran air. "Mayor Tate," she greeted him, pushing passed Theron and holding out her hand for him to shake. "Good to see you again."

Tate took her hand, gripping it firmly as he gave a single shake. "And you, Ryder. How're things?" He asked, shooting a look behind her at Theron.

"Same old. This is Theron Wylde. Sloane's…" She faltered and looked at Theron, not entirely sure how she should be introducing her.

"I work security for Sloane with Kaetus," Theron rescued her, reaching out and grasping Tate's hand with both of hers. "Pleasure to meet you."

Tate merely grunted at her in disdain. He had mixed feelings about Sloane and her associates. "Colonists' quarters are right this way," he stated, indicating the way forwards with a jerk of his head, "but I don't know what you expect to find. Your boys Kaetus and…"

"Kaplan," Sara filled, following him as Tate began walking into the outpost.

"Right, Kaplan," Tate said, slowing his gait so they could walk side by side, "they had a look around yesterday after they spoke to the other colonists. I don't think she can give you any clues. She kept to herself and, to be honest, people avoided her. You know, she kind of looked like Sloane and I think it unnerved some people. And she was…" he trailed off, gesturing before himself with one hand as he sought the words. Sara looked at him curiously. Beside her, Theron was looking around the outpost, apparently ignoring the conversation. "You know. She didn't talk. Silent type," Tate finished.

Sara felt herself bristle on behalf of Christie Rodriguez. "Silence isn't contempt." She frowned at the mayor.

"No," Tate agreed, flushing with embarrassment at Sara's reproachful tone. "We're a small community right now and she…kept to herself," he said again, leading them passed identical white-and-grey buildings that seemed to bustle with activity. People milled around in groups talking, or hurried between buildings, datapads in hand, some lugged tools or crates of supplies. Most were too busy to pay the trio any notice, but a few recognized Sara as the human Pathfinder and smiled a greeting that she returned.

"So, she was socially awkward, that's not a crime," Sara shot back and saw Tate purse his lips in annoyance.

"Plus, with you lot giving her the cold shoulder, it's no wonder she kept to herself," Theron piped up helpfully, apparently having been paying attention to their words, after all, while she looked about Ditaeon.

Tate let out a soft sigh, pushing one hand over the top of his head to rub at the back of his neck as though massaging away the tension. "I agree, we were shits to her, but admitting that won't change a damn thing," he informed them wearily, "I'm telling you this because I don't think we, or even Rodriguez, can help you. You're wasting your time."

"I'll be the judge of that," Sara told him. An awkward silence fell between the group.

Theron finally spoke up to fill the quiet, "um, you got the body?"

"Yes, we buried her this morning. Good turn out." Tate nodded his head once, palming a button beside the doorway leading into a two-storey square residential building. The door panel hissed as it slid upwards to admit them, opening onto a well-lit corridor. Identical grey doors lined each side, each with its own electronic keypad beside it.

Rodriguez had resided midway along the ground floor of B-block. The quarters following hers were empty, waiting for colonists to join the outpost. Tate halted outside of her door and rapped his knuckles against the thick metal. "This is it," he announced, and typed in an override code on the keypad beside the door. The metal panel whooshed up, revealing a dark interior. Even through the shadows, standing outside in the corridor, Sara could see how spartan it was.

"I'll leave you to it," Tate said, stepping back out of their way. Theron peered curiously around the doorway. "Come find me when you're done."

Sara nodded her thanks and watched as Tate strode away, along the corridor and back into the brightness of outside. Her attention was drawn back to the room as light blazed suddenly from within. Theron had stepped inside and found the wall switch to lift the blinds over the windows across the room, offering an uninspiring view of the building across the dirt track outside.

The black-haired woman was glancing around the small room, taking in the meagre belongings. The floor and walls were standard white Initiative pre-fab panels. There was a bed pushed against one wall, neatly made, a desk beneath the windows with a few datapads scattered across the surface, a small console beside them. There was a closet in one corner, and in the other a small stove and sink, beside which was stacked a dirty saucepan and plate with cutlery. An open drinks bottle stood beside them. There were no photos, no kind of personalisation.

Sara reached behind herself, pressing the button to close the door. When she turned back, Theron was looking at her. "What?"

Theron looked pointedly around the tiny room. "Where's the bathroom?"

"I don't know…" Sara shrugged, not seeing the point in such an idle observation. "Maybe it's communal?"

Theron gave a derisive snort, making her thoughts on the matter clear, and moved over to the desk, sorting through the datapads. "Travel for six hundred years only to be assigned to quarters with a communal bathroom. Welcome to Andromeda!"

"It's not ideal," Sara agreed. Then sharply added, "don't steal anything." She crossed the room and took the datapads out of Theron's hands.

"Okay, firstly, there's nothing worth stealing in here," Theron replied coolly. "And secondly, I've changed." She placed a hand over her heart and gave Sara her most sincere look.

Sara raised one eyebrow. "Yeah, and pigs can fly."

Theron flashed a mischievous grin. "You never know, they might do in Andromeda."

Sara bit back a retort and turned away to peruse the datapads while Theron switched on the console on the desk and watched as it ran through its boot up sequence. "Work logs," she told Theron, scrolling through pages of text on one of the datapads. "Repairs to comms networks, water filtration systems, solar panels, adjustments to mining equipment, on and on. It's like she only signed off to eat and sleep." She turned to look at Theron, shaking her head in dismay.

"Busy girl," Theron commented, looking over her shoulder at Sara.

Sara dropped the datapad back onto the desk, brow furrowed in agitation. "Yeah, too bad no one could even be bothered to give her the time of day," she muttered, opening up another datapad.

"So, what are we hoping to achieve here?" Theron asked.

"We're going to make the dead talk."

Theron wrinkled her nose and dropped down into the desk chair, scooting it closer as the console woke up. "You're so morbid…" She murmured without looking at Sara, typing commands into the glowing keyboard.

Sara felt a small stab of emotion in her chest. She was being morbid in a way, but for good reason. Or so she felt, anyway.

"My Dad…" She lowered the datapads she held to stare at a spot on the floor. Her throat felt tight, but she forced the words out. "He…Died. On Habitat 7." Her voice sounded hollow even to her ears.

Theron twisted in the chair to look at her. She had known, of course. Everyone had heard about Alec Ryder's death. But to hear it from Sara… "Ryder, I'm sorry," she said, awkwardly but genuinely. Sara's eyes flicked back up to Theron's in surprise. "This must be hard for you." To deal with another violent death so closely when not even a year had passed after her father's own demise. Sara hadn't even been able to properly mourn her father, events had moved too quickly.

Sara frowned. "No, that's not what I- He left these…memories of all these…" She gestured with one hand for a moment, trying to find the words. "Moments? Important moments, imprinted into SAM to leave me a message." An important message that resulted in the Ryder twins discovering that their mother had never died, had in fact been put into cryo on Ark Hyperion before she could die, in the hopes of finding a cure for her illness in Andromeda. "I don't know how he did it," she continued, "and I didn't even know what the triggers would be to…'unlock' them. Sights or smells or…whatever. Anyway. However he did it, he left a message for me to find after his death. And Rodriguez won't die without a voice either."

Theron nodded slowly, understanding. "You want to give her a voice by figuring out the whys and hows, let her speak through evidence."

"Exactly," Sara said, about to lift the datapads again to read them, when she saw Theron's eyes home in on something on the floor behind her. "What is it?" She demanded, turning to look, but she could see nothing.

"I don't know…" Theron murmured, leaving the chair she sat on and lowering herself to her knees. She crawled across the floor, not taking her gaze from the tiny object sparkling not one metre away from the closed door. She had seen it when Sara shifted her weight, allowing the light falling through the windows to reflect from…something. "Glass." Theron delicately gripped the shard between thumb and forefinger, twisting it this way and that to look at it in the light. It was no bigger than the nail of her forefinger and curved slightly. One edge was smooth, the others were sharp and jagged.

Sara crouched beside Theron, brow creased in concentration as she inspected it. "Looks like the rim of something? Like a cup or…something."

Theron's eyes met Sara's briefly, before darting away to the metal bottle stood beside the sink. "Dropped her glass, broke it, cleaned it up, but didn't wash up after eating."

"I mean, I don't always wash up…" Sara admitted.

"Okay, but look at the rest of the room," Theron replied, rising to her feet and looking around herself at the bed, the desk, what passed for the kitchen area. "It's all tidy."

"There's not exactly much space to mess up," Sara said, standing to face Theron, running situations through her head using the limited information they had. "Okay, scenario: Vidal busts open the door, attacks Rodriguez, glass is smashed in the struggle."

Theron shook her head and gestured to the door. "No signs of forced entry, and you said your SAM didn't identify any wounds associated with a struggle."

Sara chewed her lower lip as she reconsidered the problem, frowning at the floor. "Can you hack the door control?" She asked suddenly, looking up at Theron in question.

Theron snorted in amusement. " _I_ can hack anything," she replied arrogantly. "Besides, the outpost doesn't even have basic security cams, I doubt their locks could stand up to even the most primitive hacks. Vidal, or whoever took Rodriguez, wouldn't even need to know how to do it. They could have bought a pre-scripted hack from a pro, loaded it onto their omni-tool and boom, easy access."

"That's comforting…" Sara remarked sarcastically.

Theron gave her a wry smile and shrugged. "It won't work for more sophisticated systems. I can have a look at the outpost security and give you my opinion of the most likely scenario for getting in here, but I doubt it'll help."

"No need," Sara shook her head. "We don't even know if the glass broke during a break-in or if it was an unrelated accident, and I can't think of a way of finding out, so…" She left the sentence hanging lamely.

Theron looked down at the glass shard she still held in one hand. "Bit of a coincidence though…"

They shared a pointed look.

* * *

Ditaeon had revealed nothing new. After a morning spent perusing datapads and computer files Sara had decided to call it a day. Theron had downloaded the contents of Rodriguez's console onto her omni-tool and they had left the outpost, heading back to Kadara Port. Theron had mercifully gone straight to Sloane to report to her in person. Sara had felt herself relax almost immediately. Being around her old friend had her on edge, body coiled tight with tension as though expecting a knife in the back at any moment. Which was ridiculous. What could Theron possibly do to her out here? Apart from rob her blind. And maybe leave her for dead. Sara decided not to dwell on that.

She shook her head at her own ridiculousness as she climbed the landing ramp of the Tempest. The doors slid open and she stepped inside, the air within her ship refreshingly cool after the hot Kadaran afternoon. She called out a greeting to Gil as she passed him at one of the work benches, heading straight for the galley as her stomach protested its emptiness with a growl.

The door _whooshed_ open to reveal the great bulk of Drack stood leaning against one of the counters, chatting with Cora, who occupied the small table in the corner with a cup off steaming hot coffee cradled in both hands on the table top in front of her.

Cora offered the Pathfinder a warm smile as she entered the galley, pausing her conversation to greet her.

Drack was eating something he had bought from the market place that looked suspiciously like a deep-fried Earth rat on a skewer.

Sara wrinkled her nose in disgust. "What is _that_?"

Drack shrugged his huge shoulders in response. "I dunno. Tastes good though, want some?" He held it out to her.

Admittedly, it did smell good, but Sara recoiled. "Uh, no thanks. I'll stick with freeze-dried soup." She pulled open a magnetically sealed cupboard and took down one of the foil-wrapped sachets.

"Suit yourself," Drack rumbled, and tore into his snack with razor sharp fangs.

"I bought some fresh bread back from the market," Cora offered. "It's kind of salty but tastes all right. No butter, though, just Initiative spread." Nutrient-packed tasteless generically-named 'spread' that Gil sometimes used as a lubricant on stubborn mechanisms in the Nomad (which didn't exactly inspire confidence in the food, but what could they do?)

"Sounds good," Sara replied, taking an AI mug out of another cupboard and tearing open the soup packet with her teeth as she moved towards the sink and kettle at the other end of the galley. The Tempest had been fitted with a fully functioning kitchen, an attempt to inspire camaraderie with group meals and cooking. Not that anyone actually bothered with that, the near flavourless rations they were already stocked with being much more convenient to prepare. Just add water or zap it in the microwave and bam! A meal in seconds. Lexi had attempted to set a weekly group dinner night but quickly halted that when she was the only one that regularly turned up for it.

"It's in the end cupboard," Cora said, jerking her head at the cupboard she had stowed her 'treat' away inside.

As the kettle boiled, Sara reached into the cupboard and pulled out what definitely _felt_ like a round loaf of crusty bread, but that was where the similarities ended. She paused, looking down at it suspiciously, then turned back to Cora and said, "it's kind of green."

Drack snorted in amusement, wiping grease from his chin onto his forearm. "That's what I said!"

"It's meant to be," Cora replied eagerly. She always seemed to be eager when it came to trying new things in their new home. A commendable attitude. Sara, however, felt a little more wary, especially since Suvi described in detail her reaction to licking an Andromedan rock… "It's the flour they use. It tastes fine and it's perfectly safe. Jaal said it's traditional Angaran bread."

Sara looked back to the bread, hesitating again. Then she shrugged and grabbed a knife from the block bolted to the work surface. Green bread definitely wasn't the weirdest thing she had eaten in Andromeda so far.

Hunk of bread in hand, soup 'made', Sara crossed the galley to sit at the table opposite Cora, who waited quietly as Sara nibbled experimentally at the bread, paused, and then grinned at her lieutenant.

"It's good!" She agreed.

Cora smiled in response. "What did I tell you?" She teased, and Sara shrugged, now more interested in her lunch than conversation. Cora watched her for a moment. The Pathfinder seemed agitated, her brow furrowed slightly as she ate, eyes troubled, shoulders tense.

"So," she said after a moment's silence, broken only by the crunching of…whatever Drack was eating. Sara glanced up at her. "How'd it go?"

Sara dropped her gaze again, disappointment obvious on her face. "Useless," she grumbled, swirling a piece of bread around her soup. "We found nothing. Also, it's hard working with Theron when I want to rip out her eyeballs and feed them to her." She stuffed the bread into her mouth.

Drack let out a throaty chuckle at that. "You got an imagination on ya, kid!" He barred his fangs in a toothy grin. "I like it."

Cora was, of course, familiar with Sara's history. She knew the story, Alec Ryder's dishonourable discharge and its affect on his children's careers, Theron Wylde and her sabotage of Sara, albeit accidental (though that was according to Theron herself, so who knew). The Ryders had been open with Cora, working closely with her as they trained for the Pathfinder team. Cora had become something of an older sister for Sara during their time spent together.

She smiled wryly in response to Sara's bitter comment. "Let's not piss off the locals, huh?" She said, and Sara's bright blue eyes flicked up to meet her gaze, creased and closed as the Pathfinder pinched the bridge of her nose.

"I know I should let it go but-"

"Not at all," Cora interrupted. "I know a thing or two about betrayal and the all-consuming rage it brings," she gave Sara, who, of course, knew Cora's own story, an almost playful look, "but it could be worse. She didn't try to kill you. Look, just get the job done. Find Vidal, save the day, and we're out of here." Cora leaned back in her chair and shrugged, as if it were that easy.

Sara contemplated that in silence. She supposed it _could_ be that easy. Maybe they had approached the problem wrong. They were chasing Rodriguez, but what if they tried to get into Vidal's head? Made the choices he would make?

Could that work?

"I could accidentally punch her spine out through her chest if you want?" Drack suddenly offered.

Sara blinked, twisting in her chair to look back at him incredulously. It took her a moment to realize he was talking about Theron. "Drack, you do not _accidentally_ punch someone's spine out through their chest!"

"Hah! You ever see a krogan sneeze? I can make it look accidental…" His broad grin took on a shark-like aspect. Sara felt a shiver run the length of her spine. Sometimes she forgot, with how safe Drack made her feel, just how dangerous the krogan could be.

She stared at him in silence for a moment, then turned her gaze to Cora, who just raised her eyebrows and shrugged.

Sara looked back to Drack, who seemed to be honestly waiting for an answer, as though he expected Sara to agree to the ridiculous offer. "However much I would love something horrible to happen to Theron, Cora's right. I just need to help get to the bottom of all this and then we can leave Kadara."

"So, no sneezing?" Drack asked, tone laced with disappointment.

"No sneezing," Sara said firmly. "That's an order."

"You're no fun," Drack said, with a gravelly chuckle, and went back to his snack.


	7. Reyes

**A/N: Another interludy thing! Again, if you like Reyes you will hate this fic. Just a warning :P**

* * *

The bullet Pathfinder Sara Ryder had fired at Reyes Vidal had been at relatively close range from a modded (because Sara never seemed satisfied with the weaponry she received) Avenger rifle. It had thankfully ricocheted from the small metallic flask attached to his belt, however, the impact had shattered the flask. Shrapnel burrowed through his body, burying itself just beside his spine, tearing through flesh and muscle and chipping bone before finally coming to rest deep inside his body. He had been lucky enough to know a skilled doctor that had extracted the razor-sharp fragments and patched him up as best she could. But it wasn't enough. The damage had been done. While his vital organs were intact, and he could be sure to lead a long and healthy life, he had been left with chronic pain and nerve damage that meant he was unable to walk great distances without feeling like burning hot metal spikes were being driven up the length of his right leg and into his lower back. His leg was stiff, and he walked with an obvious limp, favouring his left side.

Perhaps slightly less of an issue, but an issue none the less, the Nexus bitch had also wasted the majority of his Mount Milgrom after her shot caused his flask to deposit it on the ground. A bloody waste. There had been just enough left in the ruined flask to decant and save for a special occasion.

Revenge tainted his plans for Kadara. Oh, he would have that port. And Sloane Kelly and Sara Ryder would suffer greatly at his hands for the Hell they had put him through. He would publicly humiliate them, torture them until they begged for mercy. Oh, how they would suffer…

The Collective had mostly abandoned him after he fled Kadara. The majority that had remained loyal and stayed behind had been rounded up by Sloane fucking Kelly and dealt with. Whatever that meant. That left him with a ragtag bunch of misfits of varying intelligence and usefulness. Keema Dohrgun, now, that reliable source of information, she had stayed true, gone into hiding once she realized Sloane had discovered her ties to the Charlatan. From the shadows she had spied for him, fed information back to him, arranged for him to return to Kadara in secret. She had helped him claw back his power bit by bit, sent recruits to him, planted them amongst Sloane's people. The steady stream of communication had gone silent since the Rodriguez thing. He hoped that didn't bode badly. It would be such a shame if he had to silence her completely. But she knew too much to be allowed to break away from him completely.

He had known Sloane would bring in Ryder at some point, but he would never have guessed she would do it so fast and so his plans would have to change. He was nothing if not resourceful and adaptive. Lucky for him, Ryder's incessant need to interfere and act holier than thou in all situations meant she was instantly all-in in the plot to locate and neutralize him. Winding up Sara was simple enough. She was so easily unsettled…

He remembered the time they had spent together, fond memories tainted now by bitterness and contempt. She was the reason his every waking moment was plagued by pain and discomfort. She was the reason his plans had been ruined, her and her meddling. She couldn't just keep her nose out of it. He had thought she would side with him in the war for Kadara once Sloane was dead. Hadn't expected Sloane to bring her along to their duel for the port. They had fought side by side, drunk together, shared secrets, hell, even flirted. A lot. Both of them. Though her less than him. He had caught the sidelong glances she sometimes shot his way and made sure to cultivate those feelings. They could come in handy.

He remembered Sara Ryder being impulsive and reckless. She had grown since then, he knew, and become involved with that boring science officer. He hadn't seen that coming, but it was irrelevant. Much as Ryder was sculpting herself into the respectable Pathfinder the Nexus wanted her to be, somewhere under that façade he knew there was still a woman guided by gut instinct rather than logic. All she needed was a little push.

Reyes shifted his weight in his chair, feeling tight fingers of pain worm their way into the muscle of his right thigh. The aches had settled in for the day, nothing he could do about that. He reached out for the metallic bottle on his desk and used finger and thumb to rotate it slowly. Generators hummed in the corridor outside, powering the lights in his quarters, a small room that suffered from slightly less damp than the rest of the old mining quarters the Collective had taken over. A rusted metal bed occupied one whole wall, the only other furnishing in the room apart from the rusting desk and rickety chair. It was all very Spartan, as the saying went, but there was time enough for luxury later.

The polished surface of the bottle reflected the lights back at him as he twisted it. He stilled his hand, tapping one finger against the desk thoughtfully.

Mount Milgrom. Saved for a special occasion. And he knew now exactly what that occasion would be.


	8. Chapter 5

**A/N: Insomnia is not fun (Y) Edited this while not quite with it, so apologies if there are mistakes etc! Duracrete is something I nabbed from Star Wars, seemed to fit better (in my head) than concrete.**

* * *

Sara was brought gently from her slumber as she became slowly aware of a faint tickling sensation against the bare skin of her stomach beneath her sleep T-shirt. She was in bed, lying her on her back, with her head turned to one side. Soft hair brushed her nose with each breath. She breathed in deep, smelled familiar strawberries. Or, at least, the Initiative's attempt at strawberry scent. Suvi. Of course. She gave a sleepy chuckle and caught Suvi's hand, halting the lazy patterns her lover was drawing against her belly with her fingertips.

"Tickles," she murmured, finally opening her eyes as Suvi tipped her head back to grin at her, ocean eyes bright and wide awake, unlike Sara's sleep-clouded ones.

"Morning, sleepyhead," she teased the groggy Pathfinder. Sara mumbled incoherently and rolled onto her side, pressing her face into Suvi's neck and drawing her closer with one arm around her waist. Suvi laughed, brushing her fingers through Sara's long hair, taming it after sleep had mussed it. "How do you ever get anything done when you struggle to get up in the morning?"

Sara mumbled into her neck again.

"What?"

Sara shifted her head back to share the pillow with Suvi, now lying face to face with her, still squinting somewhat with sleepiness. "I said, because you always kick me out the bed."

"That was one time!" Suvi protested, bumping one hip into Sara. "And you had a meeting with Tann you were going to be late for."

Sara grinned at the tiny pout she was receiving. "What time is it, anyway?" She asked, glancing towards the wide windows across the room. SAM never entirely removed the tint while they were docked in port, so as to afford her some privacy, but it looked bright out.

"Late," Suvi confirmed.

"Late? And you haven't left me for your data?" Sara asked humorously. "Is it my Birthday?"

Suvi rolled her eyes. When not aiding Kallo in piloting the Tempest she would be at her console on the bridge, or stowed away elsewhere on the ship, going over notes and reams of data, studying Andromeda and all it had to offer. It was something Sara liked to tease her about, though she found it sweet the way Suvi excitedly attacked any and all data available on absolutely everything about their new home. "No," she replied, "I just thought you could use some time off to unwind, so, lazy day in bed. I've told the crew not to disturb you."

Sara felt her heart melt a little at the idea of Suvi taking charge and telling everyone to leave their Pathfinder alone for a while, to give her some time to herself to recharge, de-stress, whatever it was Suvi had in mind. A fond smile began to slowly build, but was wiped clear and replaced with an excited fire burning in her stomach at the sudden and downright mischievous look that had appeared on Suvi's face.

"Besides," the science officer continued casually, "if it was your Birthday I'd make sure you woke up to something a little more exciting…"

"Oh really…?" Sara asked with a sly grin, rolling and pinning Suvi beneath herself.

"Aha," Suvi said, winding her fingers into the hair at the back of Sara's head, Sara's weight on her a familiar comfort that sent a thrill of excitement through her.

Sara sniggered. "I'll definitely remember that," she told Suvi, dipping her head and pressing a kiss to her lips, suddenly ravenous for the redhead.

Suvi had just moved her hands down Sara's back and gripped the hem of her pyjama top when one of their omni-tool cuffs began flashing and vibrating on Sara's bedside table. She just about swallowed the disgruntled whimper in her throat as Sara pulled away to look at the offending item.

"It's mine," Sara stated, making no move to answer.

Suvi was confused a moment, she had definitely told the crew not to disturb Sara, but then she nudged the Pathfinder. "Answer it," she said. Sara looked at her in dismay, wanting nothing more than to ignore the call and spend the rest of the day in bed with her. "It might be about your investigation."

That cinched it. Why did Suvi always have to be the voice of reason? Uttering the most dramatic sigh Suvi had ever heard, Sara snatched up her omni-tool and snapped it onto her wrist. She flopped back amongst the pillows beside Suvi and glowered as she answered the call and Theron's face appeared before them.

"Yes?" She growled. Of course, it was Theron, ruling queen of ruining everything ever. Her annoyance flickered into confusion as Theron began to tip her head to one side curiously.

" _I…heart…cats…_ " She read with a grin, head popping upright again as her eyes met Sara's through the holo. " _Is that regulation Initiative sleepwear_?"

Sara snatched the bed covers up to her chest, realizing Theron was reading the slogan off her sleep T. "No," she stated needlessly.

Suvi pressed her palm against Sara's stomach beneath the sheets, sensing her rising tension, and lay her head on Sara's shoulder, glancing at the woman on the video display with interest. So, this was the Theron that so wound up her lover.

Theron's expression lit up on seeing Suvi, and then her face split into a leer. " _Why, hello there_!"

"Theron, what do you want?" Sara snapped, bristling at the way Theron was not-so-discretely checking out her girl.

Theron looked momentarily lost. " _What? Oh, right, yeah_ ," just like that, she became all business, grey eyes flicking impossibly fast from mischievous to serious. " _That chunk of glass we found yesterday? I analysed it and it's definitely minifactured AI glassware. I went back to Ditaeon last night and checked the bin in Rodriguez's room and it's empty except for minute traces that barely came up with a scan. Someone scrubbed it good_." She paused expectantly, waiting for Sara's reaction.

Sara was not pleased that her snuggle time had been interrupted for this, not least because it was Theron doing the interrupting. "So, someone tidies the room for her. Maybe they felt bad or…I don't know, Theron," she said irritably, shaking her head and shrugging. Suvi flexed her fingers against Sara's stomach, an attempt at soothing her.

" _Okay, firstly, who does that_?" Theron asked, shooting Sara a look that clearly said she thought the Pathfinder was crazy. " _Secondly, why empty the bin but not wash up or tidy away the dinner stuff? Thirdly, I checked the logs and someone entered her room using the correct code shortly after she died. Someone went in and cleared away the glass. Maybe they wanted it to look like she just ran out, or something. Didn't want to make it obvious she'd been taken. Someone who likes playing games_."

Theron looked smug, like she'd backed Sara into a corner and was waiting for her to concede the point. Sara shook her head again.

"Sure, that's one way of looking at it," she said, "but you're grasping at straws, joining dots to make the picture you _want_ to see. We can't assume anything."

" _Okay_ ," Theron said, and Sara saw she was beginning to pace as the holo-Theron bobbed. She saw a glowing console behind Theron, an unmade bed. Her quarters in the port? " _I also went through the datapads properly and found some…journal stuff. Rodriguez mentioned seeing a stranger sniffing around the outskirts of the outpost that she thought might be the Charlatan. Seemed pretty keen to talk to him. This is an entry made a couple of days before she dies, so maybe they got chatting, she_ _ **let**_ _him into her room and he took her_."

Sara was growing more and more exasperated. "You're basing this all on pure speculation. You can't do this. If we blindly follow one theory we'll miss something."

" _It's all we_ _ **have**_ ," Theron replied, her own agitation showing in the face of Sara's stonewalling, visible in the edge to her voice, the faint frown, the tensed jaw.

Suvi discretely elbowed Sara, who felt a flicker of annoyance, but still grit her teeth and said, "It's…Something to consider. Thank you for sharing." She was rewarded by another belly rub and grazed her cheek against Suvi's hair in appreciation.

Theron tapped two fingers to her temple in a mock salute. " _Understood. Have a nice day_." She winked at Suvi and the 'signal lost' message displayed on the omni-tool.

Sara dropped her arm onto the covers and looked at Suvi. "Do you ever feel like everyone who knows us is determined to stop us making out?"

"Oh, all the time," Suvi joked. "It's a definite conspiracy."

Sara contemplated that for several seconds, before rolling over, pinning Suvi and picking up where they had left off before Theron's call.

* * *

They made it all the way through lunch before Sara's lazy day was interrupted again. Suvi was carrying their now-empty plates to the sink in the galley when Sara's omni-tool beeped and Sara's voice trailed off to absent-minded nothingness.

"What is it?" Suvi asked worriedly, looking over her shoulder. Sara was frowning at her omni-tool display, reading the text she had just received.

"I don't know…" She murmured.

A message from Tate: _Request Pathfinder response, maybe related to Rodriguez case_.

Sara looked up at Suvi as she scraped back her chair and stood, turning off the glowing orange gauntlet. "I have to go."

Suvi smiled faintly. "I suppose a few hours relaxing is better than none."

"You worry too much," Sara told her lightly, kissing her cheek as she passed Suvi on her way out of the galley.

"You make me," Suvi replied, but Sara was already gone, and gave no sign that she had heard.

Sara hurried into her quarters and donned her lightweight leather jacket, strapped a pistol to her hip. Fifteen minutes later, she was guiding the Nomad along the bumpy dirt roads through the Badlands towards Ditaeon, seriously considering having the Tempest dock at the outpost instead of in Kadara considering it was her third trip there in nearly as many days. The outpost didn't have a proper landing zone yet but there was enough flat ground nearby to land the ship.

The craggy hills of Varren's Scalp sped by in a blur, the port rapidly disappearing behind her as she skirted the mountains, following the dusty tracks around their rocky bases towards the sulphur springs and Ditaeon.

"SAM, patch me through to Tate," she said.

" _Of course, Pahtfinder_ ," he replied mildly. " _Patching you through_."

She waited a beat, then saw the comms light flare green on the dash in front of her, and was greeted by Tate's gravelly voice. " _Ryder_."

"I'm on my way," she told him. "About ten minutes out, now."

" _That was quick_ ," Tate commented. " _We've left everything exactly as we found it, waiting for you_."

Sara felt a bucket of ice drop into the pit of her stomach. Left everything…? That didn't sound good. "Uh…Did someone else get murdered?"

Tate gave a snort of laughter, sensing the apprehension in her voice. Sara found the reaction inappropriate considering the circumstances of the previous few days. " _No, nothing like that. Don't worry. I'll meet you outside again. Tate out._ "

A burst of static, then silence. Sara frowned at the dash. Inappropriate though it was, she had to admit his laughter soothed her unease somewhat, though she couldn't quite shift the feeling of trepidation entirely. A possible link to Rodriguez. Could Tate have been any more vague? He didn't sound especially worried, but surely even a potential link to the murder was serious. She shook her head and cleared her mind. There was no use puzzling over it until she arrived in Ditaeon.

* * *

As promised, Tate was waiting for her beside the road outside the outpost. Sara felt an uncomfortable flicker of deja vu. It was almost exactly as her visit had begun the previous day.

The Nomad ground to a halt, gravel crunching and popping beneath its enormous tires. The doors slid upwards near silently and she clambered out of the vehicle. The engine ticked quietly as it cooled.

Tate strode forwards, expression solemn. "Glad you could come," he said, reaching out to grip her hand in greeting. "I didn't trust Sloane to take us seriously."

Sara felt her anxiety climbing as Tate motioned towards the outpost and they began to walk along the road that cut through Ditaeon. "What exactly am I here for, Tate?" She asked.

They passed by administration buildings, passed housing, glossy white metal panels and glass gleaming in the bright sunlight, and duracrete structures half built, empty shells that would become more permanent with time, heading into the heart of the outpost. Colonists hurried about them, going about their daily business, each one pausing to throw a greeting Sara's way before hurrying off again. No one seemed to be exhibiting signs of distress, and so Sara chalked that up to a win. No murder, no panic, and Tate hadn't requested she bring back up.

So why was she so worried?

"We had a break in," Tate explained. "Someone got into the supplies. They didn't _take_ anything, but they did leave something behind."

Sara felt her stomach clench. Okay, that didn't sound good. "Oh…?" She asked casually, hoping her voice didn't reveal her nerves.

"You'll see," was all he said.

Sara swallowed a sarcastic 'great'.

Tate lead them towards a large windowless single-storey prefab building, the only way in or out a large shutter that looked big enough to comfortably fit the Nomad side on. An electronic panel was fitted to the wall on one side, a plate of glass above a standard nought-to-nine keypad. Tate pressed his palm to the glass and Sara saw the flash of green as it scanned his fingerprints. He withdrew his hand and typed in a code, then stepped aside as an electronic beep confirmed his login and the shutter began to slide upwards, rattling loudly as though in protest.

"Whoever broke in hacked the lock," he told Sara. "We had to debug it this morning. Whatever they used was like a damn crowbar, left the system in a mess."

"And they took nothing?" Sara asked. "You're sure?"

"Checked the manifests three times. We're good. Scanned the whole building for everything from bombs to toxins. Nothing." Tate shook his head and shrugged.

"Huh…" Sara muttered, watching the shutter climb noisily upwards.

"Come on," Tate said as bright white lights automatically flickered on inside the building, revealing floor to ceiling metal racking bolted to the walls and piled high with boxes of supplies for the outpost. Crates stood stacked in rows, forming aisles that created a maze-like appearance, their contents scrawled in black on each side. Food, medical supplies, tech supplies, water purifiers, vehicle parts, spare tools, anything they could ever need and more.

Silence as the shutter finished its ascent. Sara became aware of the electronic humming of the lights high above, their boots thudding and scuffing on the metal floor panels as they entered. Dusty footprints marked the paths most taken. The air tasted stale, lifeless, and the harsh lights above were too bright. They made everything look artificial, edges too sharp. Already, Sara wanted to be back outside, in the open.

Tate lead her into the labyrinth of boxes, moving through a corridor of electrical parts and turning into an empty square of roughly six feet, bordered on three sides by walls of stacked crates.

"Whoever broke in moved the crates to make the alcove," Tate said, gesturing to the crates around them, but Sara didn't care about that. She was staring at the small silver bottle in the middle of the space, standing out in stark contrast to the white flooring, metallic surface gleaming bright in the harsh lighting, eerily similar to something she had seen before.

" _I found the only bottle of Mount Milgrom in Andromeda,"_ she remembered him telling her gleefully as he gingerly cradled his precious cargo under one arm, stolen from Sloane's personal stores, _"Triple distilled and six-hundred-forty-five years old."_

She felt it like a punch to the stomach. He had used her as a distraction to steal that bottle, had offered to share it but she had been in no state to take him up on the offer. Reyes Vidal, the slimy bastard.

"There's writing on it," Tate said, indicating the bottle with a jerk of his head.

Sara peered closer at the bottle, and sure enough, scrawled across the metallic surface, she could see black marker. She inched closer, feeling her skin crawl as she did so, knowing that _he_ had been there. She crouched down and tipped her head to get a good look without having to lift the bottle, and felt anger flare in her gut, white hot.

 _To Sara, I saved you some, love Reyes x_

"Get rid of it," she growled, rising to her feet and turning to Tate. He seemed taken aback by her rage. "Incinerate it, throw it into a sulphur pool, I don't care, just…" She trailed off and raised one hand to screw her eyes shut tight and pinch the bridge of her nose. Her heart thudded in her chest, blood humming in her ears.

Blue eyes snapped open and homed in on Tate, a sudden thought occurring. "You seriously need cameras."

What if it wasn't Vidal?

Tate gave a wry smile. "Security cameras are a luxury we won't be getting for a while," he said. "We're still working on permanent buildings."

What if it was someone masquerading as Vidal?

"Right," Sara said grimly. "I'll see what I can do."

Was she being paranoid?

Tate gave her a thankful smile, but she was already pushing passed him, heading out of the claustrophobic towers of crates with their too-sharp edges from the artificial light, out into the bright daylight of Kadara, omni-tool up, dialling in a vidcom request.

" _Wazzup_!" Theron grinned at her." _Knew you'd warm up to me e-_ "

"Meet me at my quarters on Tempest in an hour," Sara snapped. She saw Theron blink in surprise just before she cut comms with the black-haired woman.

* * *

The hour passed much too fast for Sara. It seemed she had barely returned to the Tempest, barely been in the soothing company of Suvi, when SAM's soft voice floated from the speakers mounted in the ceiling of her quarters. " _Pathfinder, Miss Wylde is aboard and being escorted to your quarters by lieutenant Harper_."

Sara let out a long sigh through her nose, eyes dropping to the floor as she said, "Thanks, SAM. Let her in when she gets here."

" _Affirmative, Pathfinder_."

Suvi shifted closer, taking one hand from the mug of steaming tea she cradled in her lap to link fingers with Sara. She had no idea why Sara had called Theron to the ship, Sara had said little on the matter, but she knew whatever it was had Sara wound tighter than a salarian on crack and that worried her.

"Cora and Drack will be in the galley. SAM will call them in if you need them," she said, and earned herself a loving smile from Sara.

"Thanks, Suv," she said, "but it's just a talk. I won't need backup."

"You'd better not," Suvi replied mock sternly.

Sara laughed. "Or what?" She challenged.

Suvi glanced towards the door as she heard footsteps in the corridor outside, then looked back to Sara playfully. "I'll think on it," she said.

The door hissed open softly and Theron sauntered in. She wore a tank top that left her arms bare, and Suvi's eyes followed black tattooed glyphs that flowed in a thick line from her right shoulder to the tips of her fingers. Fingers that hovered close to a pistol at her hip. Why hadn't Cora taken that from her?

"All right, ladies?" Theron asked, and Suvi's eyes flicked up to find, with a jolt, stormy grey eyes locked with her own. Theron none-to-subtly gave her the once over and Suvi squirmed uncomfortably. "You must be the delightful Doctor Anwar. An absolute pleasure to meet you." She grinned broadly.

Suvi felt Sara stiffen beside her at the flirtatious tone in Theron's voice. She hopped to her feet, one hand on Sara's shoulder to still her. "I should go…I have a report to file for the Nexus science team," she looked down at Sara. "Come find me when you're done here." She offered the Pathfinder a soft smile, glanced at Theron and made her way out of the room. Theron turned to watch her leave, then twisted round to shoot Sara a mischievous look once the door slid closed and blocked Suvi from view.

"She's cute," she said, and smirked. "Hot accent too."

"Shut up," Sara growled, rising to her feet to glower at Theron.

Annoyance flickered over Theron's face. She liked to think of herself as thick-skinned, she had to be in her line of work, especially considering Sloane Kelly and her barbed words was a large part of that work, but Sara's constant attitude was seriously starting to rankle. "Wow, okay, learn to chill out, yeah?" She said stiffly.

Sara ignored the comment, and instead began to pace in front of Theron, a caged lioness. Her muscles felt rigid and she swung her arms at her sides in an attempt to alleviate some of the tension.

Theron frowned at her, annoyance giving way to concern. "What's this about?"

"I got a call from Tate to come check something out at the outpost," Sara began to explain without looking at Theron. "Someone broke into their supplies, hacked the lock. Didn't steal anything, but they left behind a bottle of Mount Milgrom with a note on it signed by Vidal," here she glanced at Theron to gage her reaction. Nothing. Perfectly blank. That was…annoyingly unexpected. She had been hoping for at least a flicker of guilt. "Only now I'm starting to wonder who it could _actually_ be."

Theron's face was the picture of confusion. "Who is else could it-" she stopped when Sara gave her a pointed look. "Me?!" Her eyebrows shot up as she gestured pointlessly to herself, fingers splayed against her chest. "Are you mental?!"

Sara halted her pacing to jab an accusatory finger at her. "You told me yourself you went back to the outpost alone!"

"Yeah, _I_ told you!" Theron spread her arms wide, palms up, a display of futility. "Why would I do that if I was guilty?"

"To make it look like you're innocent!" Sara cried. Wasn't it obvious? "Make yourself look _too_ guilty to _be_ guilty."

Theron gaped at her, shocked at the level of paranoia that had caused Sara to turn on her. "Now who's grasping at straws?! Besides, what the Hell even is Mount Milgrom?" She shot Sara a disgruntled look. Was the Pathfinder serious?

"Very expensive whiskey," Sara growled. But, of course, Theron knew that already. She had to. Right? The confusion definitely looked genuine, but it had to be an act. Theron had betrayed her once already, a second time would be no trouble for her.

Theron stared at her as though she had grown an extra head. "For real? I drink _beer_ , Sara, whiskey is a posh git drink! You fancy bitch and your _whiskey_." She balled her fists at her sides, fighting a biotic flare in response to the anger she felt. It was the pressure. Sara had finally snapped and was throwing out accusations at the easiest target: her. "For Chrissakes, woman, did you seriously bring me here to accuse me of busting into a building and littering?!"

"I called you here to find out if you're working for Vidal!" Sara took a dangerous step forwards, eyes flashing angrily.

"You serious?!" Theron snarled, matching Sara's step so that they now stood almost nose to nose, grey eyes stormy and boring into Sara's.

"Yes!" Sara shot back, though she was beginning to doubt herself. Theron's resolve hadn't wavered one bit. Either she was really good at playing the wounded party, or… Or she truly had no idea what Sara was talking about. Sara looked away from Theron, staring at a point over her shoulder. Her forehead was still bunched in a scowl, but she felt the hot flash of anger begin to dissipate as she finally began to think through the accusation.

Theron watched her a moment longer, then stepped back and tossed back head to shout at ceiling in frustration, bringing her hands up and rubbing them over her face, pushing her fingers through her hair as she looked back to Sara in exasperation.

She had nothing more to say, no excuses, no counter-points, just the look in her eyes that clearly stated she was well and truly lost.

Sara felt her anger fading fast, to be replaced by embarrassment as she realized she was, in fact, acting insane. Shame coloured her cheeks. She sounded like a paranoid conspiracy theorist. "Sorry, I'm sorry," she glanced down at the floor, rubbed awkwardly at the scar beneath her right eye. "I just…" She left the sentence hanging, unable to find the words, and instead shook her head and repeated the apology, "I'm sorry." She had allowed her feelings to cloud her judgment, so eager to find an excuse to attack her old friend. Worse, this was probably exactly the reaction Reyes had been hoping for.

Theron sighed and let her arms drop to her sides, spoke softly, "I know I'm a dick and I fucked up and I'm sorry, but we need to just forget about all that so we can work together on this." Her tone was almost pleading. "We can hate each other after we've dealt with Vidal, or whoever's behind all this."

"Hey, you _have_ changed," Sara said with a hint of amusement, looking up at her again. Theron looked taken aback by this turnaround. "You were never the reasonable one…" She joked. Theron replied with a small, tentative smile, one that Sara returned.

Theron gave a short laugh. "Ain't that the truth?" She agreed. "So…Vidal left a message for you?"

Sara pulled a face, not wanting to think about it but knowing she had to. It was part of their investigation, Theron would need all of the available details. "Ugh I guess he did…" She muttered, dropping onto the edge of her bed and glaring at floor. "I can't believe I used to have a crush on that guy."

Theron snorted at Sara's expression of utter disgust and crossed the room to lean one shoulder against the wall opposite Sara. "I mean, he seems charming enough from the pictures and stuff I've seen. The murder and all that's a bit of a turn off though." She shot the Pathfinder a playful look.

"Oh, shut up," Sara said good naturedly.

"Mmm, besides, you seem to have gotten over those feelings," Theron hooked her thumbs into her belt, a slow smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Doctor Anwar, huh?"

"Don't push your luck," Sara said in warning, unsure if the teasing would be aimed at her or Suvi. She was happy enough to be the butt of the joke herself, didn't like the idea of Theron winding up Suvi, even if Suvi wasn't there to hear it.

Theron put her hands up defensively. "Just saying. From what I see, you're a very lucky lady," she said genuinely.

Sara smiled fondly. She couldn't argue with that. She thanked her lucky stars every day that she got to wake up beside the beautiful red-headed scientist and call Suvi hers.

"I am," she agreed simply.

Theron chuckled at the misty-eyed response her comment had received and pushed off from wall with her shoulders. "Well, if that's all, I'll let you get back to your redhead."

Sara stood up from the bed as Theron made to leave, nodding her head. "I'll send you a write up on what happened today. Just so we're both on the same page," she said. As Theron moved to the door, "and Theron?" The black-haired woman stopped in front of the door as the panel slid open and turned to face Sara questioningly. "I really am sorry," Sara told her awkwardly. She was never good with apologies.

Theron just smiled and saluted, then continued on her way. Sara watched her leave, feeling more relaxed than she had in days.


	9. Chapter 6

**A/N: I want to say thanks to everyone who's reviewed, faved and followed this fic. Makes me super happy to get those notifications and know that all my hard work is paying off :P**

* * *

Several days had passed without incident. Whispers of the murder permeated the port, tall tales of colonists dragged from their beds in the dead of night by persons unknown, or lured from the outpost in broad daylight. Sara had no clue where the rumours were originating from, but Sloane wasn't happy. It called her ability to rule into question and she had no target to direct her frustration at.

Theron had spent those days off world, calling in favours and gathering the equipment and parts required for outfitting Ditaeon with a fully functional security camera network. Half Initiative approved, half scavenged parts, she assured Sara that it could be put together to form a decent working network.

Sara wasn't convinced.

"Does Angaran tech work with Milky Way tech?" She asked, lifting a bundle of wires out of the lightweight metal crate Theron had dumped at her feet at the top of the Tempest loading ramp and examining their frayed ends. It wasn't something she had personally tested before. Jaal certainly seemed to have the ability to make anything that he touched work but she had never really paid much attention to his creations.

"How do you think Kadara works?" Theron replied, resting her hands on her hips and raising an eyebrow at her.

"Huh…" Sara murmured slowly. She hadn't considered that before either. She dropped the wires back into the crate and stared down at the mess, rubbing the back of her neck with one hand. Theron had supplied them with mismatched cameras, some half-built, and power sources. Some of it looked shiny and new, but some looked tarnished and broken, held together by wishes alone.

"Don't look at it like that, I got you some decent stuff," Theron told her. "None of the half-arsed crap some of the sellers have here. Don't tell them I said that."

"Noted," Sara looked up at Theron. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Theron grinned at her and began walking backwards down the ramp, announcing, with a flourishing bow, "and now I must depart!"

"Woah, wait up!" Sara protested, side-stepping the crate and following Theron, who made no move to stop. "Aren't you going to help us set it up?"

"Nah, your outpost, your responsibility," she replied. "Besides, I have something else I need to do." She turned as she reached the bottom of the ramp and began crossing Tempest's landing platform.

"Like what?" Sara demanded. "And don't you dare say washing your hair," Sara said, knowing full well Theron was attempting to wriggle out of a day of hard work.

Theron just winked over her shoulder as she sauntered away.

Sara sighed wearily as she watched Theron disappear into the crowd.

"Did she seriously flake out on us?" Liam asked as he approached from the corridor linking the crews' quarters to the loading bay.

"I don't really know what I expected," Sara grumbled, making her way back up the ramp.

"Got us a shuttle," Vetra called after her from the walkway below. "It's leaving in ten minutes." The turian had been tasked with finding them a way to Ditaeon transporting their new tech and equipment.

"Yeah? So, get up here and help us carry these crates!" Liam called back.

"I'll get Jaal," Sara said, patting Liam's shoulder as she passed him. "You two fight amongst yourselves."

* * *

Coming in by air gave Sara an entirely different perspective of Ditaeon. It seemed larger and that gave her a swell of pride as she watched their approach through the reinforced shuttle windows in the cockpit. She could pick out the long, two-storey colonists' quarters block, the cluster of admin buildings that would soon house a primitive security complex, the large building that acted as warehouse, and still more, spreading, growing. But not too much. Sloane would never allow Ditaeon to overtake her precious port.

"It's coming along well," Jaal commented behind her, giving voice to her thoughts.

Sara smiled, eyes darting from building to building as they circled the outpost. "It is," she agreed, leaning her shoulder against the cockpit wall as they banked towards the outpost. Tate had told her Sloane looked out for them, and trade was good. Ditaeon hadn't been the first outpost, and wouldn't be the last, but it was doing good despite its harsh location and the sanctions imposed by Sloane. And Sara had made its growth possible.

She turned away from the sight and grinned at Jaal, eager to get on the ground and start helping the outpost further. Behind her she could hear the pilot, a salarian in Sloane's employ, speaking over his radio, calling in their approach.

"It's nice seeing tangible evidence of your work in Andromeda, huh, Pathfinder?" Liam asked from where he sat hunched over on the opposite bench beside Vetra. "I mean, besides the murder…"

"That can't be helped. This is Kadara, after all," Vetra pointed out fairly, and Liam pointed at her and nodded in agreement, looking back up at Sara.

Sara smiled wryly at them both. "I just love you guys and your sunny dispositions."

Liam gave her an angelic smile as she braced her hands against the low ceiling of the shuttle in anticipation of the shuttle thumping down on land. Jaal swayed slightly as first the nose, then the tail of the shuttle touched down, then hit the door controls and stepped out onto the dusty ground.

A tall dark-haired woman rushed forwards as Vetra, Liam and Sara followed Jaal out of the shuttle, crates of tech in hand.

"I'm to take you to meet Mayor Tate," she told them. "He's looking over some things at the new security room." She grinned at them, as though pleased she was finally able to call the re-purposed office 'security'.

Sara returned the smile and nodded her head, shifting the crate in her hands into a more comfortable position. "Okay, lead on."

The colonist strode on ahead. The shuttle had landed just outside the bounds of Ditaeon, on an area of naturally flat ground that had been cleared of rocks and shrubs and designated the outpost landing zone. One day proper berths would be built, but for now it was a large section of dirt scorched by the repeated landings and take offs of resupply shuttles and airbuses.

Ditaeon spread out in front of them, white wall panels, chrome stairways, and honeycomb glass windows practically glowing in the bright light of the Kadaran sunstar. Sara squinted into the glare, hurrying after the colonist who seemed eager to shepherd the Pathfinder group to Tate so she could get on with whatever duties she had been taken from.

She lead them around several buildings and finally stopped outside a small two-storey building with a stairway outside that lead up to the first floor.

"Tate's just up those stairs," the colonist said, smiling brightly at them each in turn. "I'll see you around!" She jogged away, back the way they had come and out of sight behind a building.

"Uh, thanks!" Sara called after her.

"Come on," Vetra said, moving passed Sara to climb the stairs, "the sooner we start the sooner we're done."

Tate looked up as the door opened and Sara, Vetra, Liam and Jaal entered. He was stood behind a desk in the small room with several screens set up in front of him, bathing him in their orange glow. Behind him wide windows wrapped three sides of the room, shuttered blinds open to give an expansive view of Ditaeon and the hills of Kadara. The office they had claimed as the security hub was part of the small admin block for the outpost that held colonist records, trade agreements, Nexus communications, and numerous other things that helped the outpost run.

"We got the monitors ready," Tate said. "Had to minifacture some parts but they seem solid. We're good to go." He moved out from behind the desk, smiling at the Tempest crew that had come to help him out with their crates of gadgets. "You can put those over there," he pointed at one corner of the room. "Thanks for coming."

"No problem," Sara said, dumping her crate and dusting off her hands as she straightened to face him again, Liam and Vetra leaving their crates beside Sara's. "So, what's the plan?"

"We go over the map I've made showing where we need cameras, divvy up parts amongst everyone, and start setting up. I've got some of my engineers ready to help," he jerked one thumb over one shoulder, indicating vaguely behind himself where somewhere in the outpost a group of colonists were waiting for orders, "so barring any bugs with the tech we should be up and running in no time."

"Well, then, let's get on it," Liam said, clapping his hands together eagerly.

* * *

Sara braced herself on the ladder with one arm, feeling the rungs bow under her weight as she leaned out sideways, arm outstretched to scan the camera she had just installed with her omni-tool. The day had grown hot fast and she could feel sweat trickling uncomfortably down her spine. How many cameras were up now? She had lost count. Theron had done well scavenging parts for them. The Nexus claimed to have filed a request for a high-tech network for Ditaeon, but Sara suspected said request would be buried under hundreds of more important issues, if the request had been filed at all.

It seemed pointless, installing cameras _after_ the crime had been committed. It wouldn't help Rodriguez, but perhaps it could keep others safe in the future. And that was all that mattered now.

She watched the readout on her omni-tool, then twisted from her perch to send a thumbs-up down at Jaal on the ground below her where he had been holding the rickety ladder steady.

"Looks good," she called down to him. He acknowledged her words with a nod and she faced front again, swiping sweat from her forehead onto the back of her hand before sliding down the ladder back to terra firma. Jaal stepped back as she neared the bottom and she hopped off, pushing her fringe out of her eyes. "Okay, where's next?"

Jaal was about to answer when SAM broke in on their private channel. She held up a hand to interrupt Jaal and moved away.

"Go ahead, SAM," she spoke out loud.

" _I thought you would like to know that Theron Wylde is on board Tempest unsupervised_ ," the AI told her.

Sara felt her stomach clench nervously. "Unsupervised?" She asked. "Can't you send Cora or someone to kick her out?"

" _At this moment no crew members are on board. Shall I request Lieutenant Harper return to deal with Miss Wylde_?"

Sara closed her eyes in exasperation, exhaling heavily through her nose. Trust Theron… "No, SAM, it's fine. I'm on my way back." She glanced back at Jaal to see him watching her curiously. He could hear only half of the conversation and was trying to piece it together with the little information he had to go on.

" _Understood. Do not worry. If she attempts to do anything I will lock her out of our systems and inform you immediately. Currently she is just entertaining herself by looking_."

"Not sure I like the sound of that…" Sara muttered. She turned to Jaal. "I have to get back to Tempest. Carry on without me and let the others know?"

"Of course, Pathfinder," Jaal said, pausing briefly before adding, "is something wrong?" He was becoming more and more adept at understanding the meaning behind the subtle changes in the Milky Way species expressions. The light frown creasing the Pathfinder's eyes told him all he needed to know. A problem had arisen that she wasn't sure she should be concerned with.

"No, no, nothing to worry about," Sara shook her head and smiled faintly. "I hope…" She added quietly to herself, and stalked away through the outpost towards the shuttle she had arrived in earlier that day.

The pilot came to attention as he spied her leaving the outpost and heading towards him. He had been leaning against his craft, swigging cooled water from a canteen, bored out of his mind, but now Sara Ryder marched towards him with purpose.

"I need to get back to port," she announced, squinting into the bright starlight as she approached.

"Right away," he said, screwing the cap back onto his canteen and hopping into the cockpit of the shuttle.

Sara felt the rumble of power coursing through the vehicle as she ducked inside. The doors closed behind her and she immediately felt almost arctic aircon blowing from vents throughout the craft. She dropped onto a bench as the shuttle ascended, leaning her head back against the wall and closing her eyes to savour the pleasantly chilled air.

" _Pathfinder_ ," SAM spoke over their private channel once again, his tone impossibly apprehensive. Sara's eyes snapped open and she sat up straight, twisting away from the cockpit for some privacy. " _Miss Wylde has seized control of the Nomad and locked me out of our systems_."

"SAM!" Sara hissed. "That's what you were meant to do to her!"

" _I understand, Pathfinder, but she is one of the best known hackers in Andromeda_."

Sara groaned and held her head in her hands. "Where has she taken my Nomad?" She demanded.

SAM actually hesitated. " _She has blocked my attempts to track the Nomad. However, I believe, unless she drastically alters her path, she is heading in the direction of Haarfel_."

"Right," Sara said sharply, rising to her feet and ducking into the cockpit to address the pilot, "could you take us towards Haarfel?"

The salarian blinked at her, surprised by the sudden change in destination when Sara had seemed so desperate to return to port. "Uh…Sure?" He said.

"Keep an eye out for a Nomad. _Apparently_ , I'm missing one," Sara said bitterly, moving back into the main compartment and bringing up her omni-tool to put through a call to Theron. "I'm gonna kill her," she muttered.

" _Pathfinder_!" Theron's greeting was bright and innocent.

Sara felt anger burning in the pit of her stomach. She had expected Theron to guiltily ignore the comms. That would have been irritating but much better than this. " _What_ are you doing in my Nomad?" She demanded through grit teeth.

" _I'm sure I don't know what you mean_!" The faux confusion was over-the-top. Sara could just picture the wide-eyed expression of bewilderment on Theron's face and felt the fingers of her free hand curl inwards in response; a clenched fist.

She inhaled slowly through her nose, trying to hold back the fury that was simmering in her gut. She would _not_ let Theron do this to her. Theron, who revelled in winding her up. She let the breath out through her mouth. Spoke in a low growl, "Theron, I'm warning you…"

" _Oh_?" She knew, just _knew_ , Theron had raised one stupid eyebrow. She felt her eyes narrow in response, fist clench tighter, pulse jumping in her throat.

"Theron," she snarled. "I swear to God."

Theron tutted playfully. " _Shouldn't. What would the delightful Doc say about that_?"

"Nomad sighted, Pathfinder," the salarian called out to her.

" _Bugger_ ," Theron sniggered and the audio clicked off.

Sara slammed her fist into the wall, the loud 'bang' from the impact and sudden sharp pain that juddered up her arm enough to ground her.

"Get after it!" She called back to him, turning away from the wall and shaking out her fist. She splayed her fingers, glanced down at knuckles now red and sore, skin broken but not bleeding. Suvi would definitely have something to say about Sara giving in to her rage, and hurting herself because of it, and that knowledge filled her with shame.

"Taking us in low," the pilot announced. "Vehicle's following the road."

Sara rushed towards the cockpit and leaned her hands against the back of the pilot's chair for support, watching through the windows as they dropped down towards the ground. The sight of the Nomad speeding away in a cloud of dust caused her anger to flare, but she stubbornly tamped the feeling down.

"Want me to try and cut it off or keep following?" The salarian asked without taking his eyes from the vehicle.

Sara was saved from answering when the Nomad suddenly swung round in a tight arc, throwing up a cloud of dirt behind itself as it was brought round to face the shuttle. Sara heard the tires screech in protest even from her position in the shuttle. The Nomad rocked to the side once, as though threatening to roll over, then came to a standstill. The doors opened and Theron hoisted herself out, a wide grin on her face, clearly excited despite Sara's wrath.

Sara kept her eyes on Theron, feeling every muscle in her body coil tight in anger. She felt the salarian looking at her expectantly.

"Land," she ordered, voice glacial. "Then head back to Ditaeon and wait for the others to finish fixing the cameras."

"Yes, Pathfinder," the pilot said nervously, worried about her lashing out at him in her anger, as he guided the shuttle in. Sara walked stiffly towards the doors, waiting for them to open. She stared at gunmetal grey panelling, waiting as they seemed to take an impossibly long time to land, the pilot being overly cautious. Finally the door slid open. The shuttle was hovering just above the ground, grass rippling in the wind of the thrusters, clouds of dust billowing outwards. Sara felt her hair whip about her face, the sting of dust blown into the shuttle by its engines. She blinked grit from her eyes and jumped out into the hot sunlight.

Theron was leaning back nonchalantly against one giant wheel of the Nomad, thumbs hooked into her belt, watching Sara with a wide grin on her face, like a kid that had just been given free-reign over the contents of a sweetshop.

Sara felt a stab of annoyance, swallowed it. "What the _fuck_ ," she growled, stomping across the couple of metres of ground between the Nomad and the shuttle, "do you think you're playing at?!"

"Driving a Nomad!" Theron said excitedly, pushing off from the wheel to stand up straight.

Sara faltered, baffled by Theron's reaction. She was fairly certain the black-haired woman was no longer trying to wind her up, but was, in fact, genuinely hyped about something. "Yes," Sara said uncertainly. "My Nomad."

Theron had been caught tampering with, and stealing, Initiative tech. She had to know she could be in deep trouble should Sara see fit to deal out punishment. Was it arrogance that stopped her even feigning remorse right now? Sara wasn't sure.

Theron shrugged her shoulders and glanced back at the hulking Nomad behind herself as the shuttle Sara had arrived in took off again and headed back towards Ditaeon. "Yeah, well, it's the only Nomad here, so…" She turned back to Sara, who tensed in anger, clenching her fists at her sides. Theron's eyes flicked down to Sara's rigid hands, back up to her icy blue eyes, meeting the glare steadily. "I'm sensing some hostility."

"I'm contemplating the best place to stuff your corpse so Sloane won't find it," Sara said with effort, her voice tightly controlled.

Theron finally seemed to realise just how upset Sara was. "Ah…Right." She frowned slightly, struggling to work out just how serious Sara was about that.

Sara stepped passed Theron to fold her forearms on the warm metal of the Nomad's nose and press her forehead against her arms, trying to calm the fluttering rage she felt in her chest. Theron just didn't seem to _get_ it, that her actions had consequences for people other than herself. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, willing herself under control.

"I am trying my _hardest_ to forget what you did to me," Sara began, turning to face Theron once again, "to forget how you make me feel, but then you do stupid shit like this and I hate you all over again!" She swung one arm back in an agitated, jerky movement to point to the Nomad.

"Sheesh, I'm sorry, it was just a bit of fun…" Theron said sulkily. Her version of regret, Sara supposed. That knowledge did nothing to dissipate the flare of annoyance in response though.

"But it wasn't!" Sara cried in exasperation. "It wasn't fun, Theron. I don't-how does this not make sense to you?" Theron scowled at her. Sara lifted one hand, ticked off on her fingers as she spoke, "you broke into my space, messed with my systems, stole from me. That's not okay!" She dropped her hands to her sides, seeing…something in Theron's grey eyes a second before Theron dropped her gaze to the ground.

"I'm sorry," Theron muttered, smoothing her hands back over her long hair. Several wispy strands had escaped her tight pony-tail and hung down in her eyes. "I just…I heard all about the Nomads when I was on the Nexus and I wanted to drive one and it was sat _right_ there!" She looked back up at Sara, folding her arms over her chest.

Sara stared at her. "That doesn't make it-you could have just asked!"

"I did, and you said no," Theron snapped.

"Then that should have been the end of it!" Sara cried. She saw Theron's teeth clench, jaw muscles bunching, releasing in frustration as she finally had the grace to back down. "Okay," she said, more to steel herself than anything else. She could feel the emotions battling inside herself. The need to just give in and let the anger consume her, to take out her rage on Theron. It was justified, after all. And the want for calm, to master her feelings and rise above them. She wearily rubbed one palm over her face, closing her eyes. She was tired of the arguing, the anger, over sheer stupidity. Theron was selfish, impulsive, obnoxious, but she wasn't, as far as Sara could tell, malicious. As far as Theron was concerned, she had simply 'borrowed' the Nomad without permission. "Okay," she said again, opening her eyes. For the briefest moment she saw the woman she had befriended all those years ago looking back at her. She blinked. "Look, no one is hurt, nothing is broken, just…" She faltered, shook her head and put her hands on her hips. 'Just' what?

Theron was watching her expectantly. "Just don't do it again," she finished lamely. Theron arched one eyebrow, clearly having expected more than that. "And, um… I'll try and be more understanding. Deal?"

Theron smiled at her and held out one hand. "Deal!"

Sara grasped her palm and shook it. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously as Theron gave her a sly smile. "What?"

"It was a pretty sweet ride."

Sara glared at her and snatched her hand back, turning away to hide a grin. "Not the point, Theron," she said. "We should get back. And _I'm_ driving."

* * *

Theron seemed happy enough to sit in silence while they drove back to Kadara. She had spent the time since climbing into the front passenger seat gazing out of the window at the scenery flashing by. It was making Sara feel uncomfortable, though judging by Theron's relaxed posture she didn't share that awkwardness.

Sara was the first to break the quiet. "What were you doing on Tempest anyway?" She asked suddenly.

Theron glanced sideways at her, and, instead of the mischievous grin Sara expected, rolled her eyes and let her head drop back onto the padded headrest of her seat.

"Sloane is throwing a party tomorrow night," she said with a snort of derision. "And the Tempest crew are invited."

"Wow, that…that's pretty short notice," Sara commented, returning her gaze to the road.

"Yep," Theron muttered.

"You really don't sound happy about it," Sara said.

"Nope," Theron agreed. She brought one foot up onto the edge of her seat and began picking at a loose thread in the knee of her cargoes. "Sloane wants to show everyone how little she cares about Vidal, that she's on top of things but…" Theron sighed and shook her head, letting her leg drop back into the footwell as she looked at Sara. "I think it's a terrible idea. If Vidal is planning anything I'd say that's the perfect opportunity to strike. We've maxed out security and I've been keeping my ear to the ground as much as I can but…I mean, I'm one person and Reyes is annoyingly sneaky."

"You're worried," Sara clarified.

Theron shot her a dark look. "Of course, I'm worried! Who do you think gets the blame if something goes wrong?!"

"I'm sure Sloane can be reasonable," Sara replied, then grinned off the look Theron gave her. "In a parallel universe. Maybe."

Theron settled back into her seat moodily. "So not helpful."

"I think you're being paranoid. One of her parties is a good way to restore morale, and Vidal would be mad to assault the port right now. Sloane has the right idea. Free booze, show who's boss, it'll be fine," Sara said confidently, attempting to ease Theron's discomfort.

Theron sighed and shook her head. "So…We'll see you lot there?"

"Don't use it as an excuse to steal from me while Tempest is empty," Sara said, looking playfully at Theron.

"Ah, she jokes!" Theron grinned at her. "I can't make any promises," she winked at Sara, who rolled her eyes and looked away again.

"So…" Sara said after a moment had passed in strangely companionable silence. "You saw Nomads on the Nexus?"

"Heard about them," Theron corrected. "And saw the specs."

"Hmm," Sara nodded slowly. "Did you work security with Sloane?" She asked curiously. She had spent whole days with her old friend and yet knew next to nothing of her new life.

"No, I was brought out of cryo with a bunch of techies," Theron answered, staring out of the window again. Kadara Port was fast approaching. Crystal blue lakes dotted the flats around them, shores tinged yellow with sulphur. Steam rose in clouds from chimneys made through centuries of sediment-laden gases escaping from vents below the water. Theron looked without seeing, thoughts elsewhere. "Nexus was trashed by the Scourge and almost every system was offline. It was a race against time to get everything working. I got to know Sloane a bit in that time. She worked hard."

"And then you both rebelled…" It wasn't an accusation, more a statement. Still, Theron gave a short huff and twisted in her seat to face Sara.

"It wasn't like that," she said. "I know what the Nexus says about the Uprising, and I know some of us were total arseholes. But what Tann did was despicable. Sloane wanted to resolve the Uprising peacefully. She has a good heart." Sara was taken aback by the seriousness in Theron's expression. Her grey eyes were earnest, no hint of humour on her face. Theron rarely spoke without humour. "Don't believe all the Nexus propaganda, and don't let Tann's mask fool you. He's much, _much_ smarter than he lets on. And don't ever forget, Nexus brass won't hesitate to hang you out to dry if it'll benefit them in some way."

"Okay," Sara said, slowing the Nomad as they approached the Port access. "I won't," she promised.

* * *

Sara rolled the Nomad up the Tempest loading ramp much faster, as always, than was strictly necessary. She was by herself now, Theron having hopped out before they reached the docks to return to Outcast headquarters. She could see Peebee and Cora stood at a work bench, Cora tinkering with something. Tiny scraps of metal and wiring were scattered over the bench surface. They both looked up at Sara's approach, Cora putting down the tools she held and instead picking up a mug of coffee as she approached the vehicle.

Sara eased on the brakes, guiding the Nomad onto its platform in the middle of the loading bay. As the wheel clamps locked into place she cut the engine and flicked the door releases. Hydraulics hissed softly as the twin panels rose upwards and out either side of her. She was still unbuckling her harness when Cora appeared beside her, looking somewhat sheepish.

"SAM updated us when you went after Theron," she said, stepping back to give Sara room to climb out of the vehicle. "Sorry we weren't here to stop her."

"It's fine," Sara grunted, vaulting out of the Nomad, boots hitting the floor panels with a loud thud.

"Fun police over here made us all come back as soon as we heard," Peebee said, jerking her head in Cora's direction as she sidled over. Sara regarded her lieutenant with a raised eyebrow, then turned to reach up to tug on the door closest to her. It hissed and lowered itself back into position. "Gil was going _spare_. You'd better hope he never meets Theron!" She gave Sara a broad grin, clearly hoping otherwise.

"My baby!" The sudden shout drew the attention of the three women towards the back of the loading bay, where Gil had appeared from the Tempest engine room. He barrelled forwards, arms outstretched and threw himself against the front of the vehicle, laying one cheek down on the nose. Sara blinked and glanced at Peebee and Cora for an explanation. Cora just shrugged and sipped at her coffee.

"You like that thing a little too much, Gil," Peebee commented, arching one eyebrow and folding her arms.

"This _thing_ is what ferries you lot around planet side," Gil replied, pushing himself upright and fixing the asari with a disapproving look.

"O-kay, so, we're just going to be over here…" Sara said, jerking her thumb over her shoulder and beginning to walk backwards away from Gil, but he had already forgotten them and was heading for his tool chest bolted to the wall in the corner to start his 'post-mission' checks of the vehicle.

"What's that horrible woman done to you this time?" He muttered to himself. Sara whipped round to retort but Cora pulled her away by the elbow.

"He means Theron," she said without looking. Sara was unconvinced but allowed herself to be dragged towards Cora's work bench, Peebee trailing behind them, looking amused.

Sara glanced down at the wiring and circuitry scattered across the bench as Cora began to tidy it away, scooping up tools and dumping them into her tool bag, boxing up spare parts and half-built components. "What've you guys been up to?" She asked, lifting up a tiny circuit board to inspect.

"I was helping Cora adapt a shield booster for her armour," Peebee said.

"If by 'help' you mean backseat build the whole thing, sure!" Cora replied, taking the board from Sara and sealing it in a box and stuffing that into her bag.

"Sounds more fun than what I got up to," Sara sighed and turned away from them to lean her butt against the workbench and watch Gil across the room as he bustled around the Nomad, checking for damage.

"I don't know why you're so uptight about Theron," Peebee said, tone matter-of-fact. Sara looked sideways at her and frowned, but the asari wasn't finished. "I mean, your Dad _actually_ got you fired and you were okay with him."

Cora choked on her coffee behind them. She set her mug down with more force than necessary, coffee slopping over the side to splash on her now cleared work surface, and began thumping one fist against her chest to clear her throat. "Peebee!"

Peebee's hazel eyes went wide with innocence. "What?"

"No…No….That's…Actually a good point," Sara waved off Cora's disapproval.

"No, it's not!" Cora protested, over her choking fit but still astounded by Peebee's words. "He's your Dad and he was dishonourably discharged to save the council's butt. Theron is an ass." The two were as comparable as apples and oranges to her.

"Yeah, but she's not purposely mean," Sara said fairly. "Just annoying. But that's not what I meant. Dad didn't get me fired, but he didn't exactly help," Sara turned around to face them both again. "His research messed up _everything_ for all of us and I hated him for it. I let it taint our relationship and that's something I regret every day." Talking about it even now she could feel a ball of emotion settle heavily in her chest. She looked down at the work bench, poking at a thread of copper wiring that Cora had missed. "Me and Theron were good friends once. What does all this fighting really accomplish?"

"You can be friends," Cora said. "Just don't trust her."

Sara raised blue eyes to meet Cora's gaze. "Noted," she said with a soft smile.


	10. Chapter 7

**A/N: Dedication level: Updating while ill!**

* * *

Sara leaned against the window in her quarters aboard the Tempest watching heavy clouds gather on the horizon beyond Kadara Port. A storm was coming, the first she had experienced on the planet, and she was kind of looking forwards to it. By the time it hit, the hour would be late, and she would be tucked up in bed with Suvi, listening to nature rage outside the safety of the Tempest (which would be aptly named in that moment.) For now, the port was bright and sunny, blue sky dotted only sparsely with white clouds, while thunderheads gathered around the distant mountains. The docks below darkened momentarily as a wispy cloud was pushed across sky, shadowing the ground below. The glare of the sunstar dimmed, then brightened again as the wind carried the cloud away.

So lost in her musings was Sara, that she didn't hear the door of her room open behind her.

"Hey." Sara felt the familiar flutter in her chest on hearing her partner's voice, a feeling she hoped would never diminish. She turned to find Suvi standing just inside the doorway of the Pathfinder quarters. She wore dark fitted trousers tucked into boots, and Sara's white Initiative hoody, instead of her usual red-and-white fitted science officers uniform, ready for the party they would shortly be attending in Outcast Headquarters at Sloane's invitation.

She felt an involuntary smile tug at her lips, an overwhelming fondness for her redheaded science officer. Sara's hoody was too big for Suvi, who had hidden her fingers inside the sleeves. It looked good on her. "I didn't hear you come in," Sara said.

"I know," Suvi replied with a cheeky grin, tucking her hands into the hoody's front pocket and crossing the room to stand beside Sara, leaning into her slightly as she watched the docks outside. "I've spoken to Lexi and Kallo and they're dead set against coming. They're expecting things to get pretty wild and want to avoid it," she looked sideways at Sara, expression clearly asking if the Pathfinder thought things would go that way.

Sara chuckled and shook her head. "I promise it won't be 'wild'," she assured Suvi. "If you're worried you can stay behind with them. I know you're not fussed about it. I won't be upset."

"No, I want to come," Suvi replied, adjusting the collar of Sara's jacket for her. Her turquoise eyes were playful as she raised them to meet Sara's. "Besides, someone needs to keep you out of mischief."

"Oh, and that's going to be you, is it? Trouble," Sara teased her.

Suvi laughed, bumping her knuckles against Sara's shoulder. "Behave," she warned.

* * *

"I bet they're screwing," Peebee said, her tone matter of fact. She stood in the middle of the loading bay, hands on hips, with the rest of the Tempest crew that would be attending Sloane's party.

Cora rolled her eyes from where she stood leaning against the Nomad with her arms folded and shook her head. "Don't be ridiculous, Peebee," she muttered.

Peebee shrugged, attempting to look innocent. "Just saying."

A deep laugh rumbled in Drack's chest and he gave a toothy krogan grin. "Shoulda sent me to get her instead," he said.

"Hey, Peebee," Liam smirked at the asari. "I'll take you up on that bet. Ten creds says Suvi's got it under control?"

Peebee twisted her mouth to one side as she considered the offer, then nodded and held out a hand. "Deal."

"You're seriously betting on your boss' sex life?" Cora deadpanned, hazel eyes flicking between her colleagues as she watched them shake on it. She slowly arched one eyebrow in disbelief.

"Ryder," Jaal announced suddenly, watching the doors to the Crews' Quarters as they _whooshed_ open and Sara and Suvi approached them side by side. He inclined his head. "Doctor Anwar."

"Hey, guys," Sara smiled a greeting at the assembled group.

"Were you screwing?" Peebee immediately demanded.

Sara faltered and blinked at her in shock. "I…What?" She asked, as Suvi blushed furiously beside her and stared at Peebee.

"No! What kind of question is that?!" The Scot squeaked.

"And what does it matter if we were?" Sara challenged.

"It matters because you told us to be here ten minutes ago," Gil spoke up, bored by the waiting around. "You're late."

"I hear it's fashionable to turn up to parties late," Vetra quipped.

Gil looked up at her. "We're not at the party yet, right now it's _rude_ to be late."

"Who pissed in your cornflakes?" Sara asked, and Gil turned his gaze back to her.

"Funny. Original," he remarked drily. "I just heard Sloane was supplying free booze and don't want to miss out."

"Anyway," Liam interrupted. "Cough up, Peebee, I won."

Peebee scowled, but dialled up her omni-tool to send the funds over Liam, grumbling, "Dammit…"

Suvi gaped at them. "You placed _bets_?!"

"What?" Peebee asked defensively. "It's a regular enough occurrence. We make bets on how often Cora brings up being a huntress too."

"What?!" Cora cried, dropping her arms and pushing off from the Nomad to face Peebee.

"Okay, let's go!" Sara said loudly before an argument could break out. She strode forwards and hit the button beside the bay doors to open them, shaking her head and muttering, "it's like shepherding kids…"

"Hey, you're all kids to me!" Drack spoke as he stomped down the ramp, shooting Sara a smirk.

A cool breeze lifted the heat of the previous day, and the tendrils of cotton wool clouds that stretched across the clear blue sky cast sporadic shadows over the port. Sara found the walk quite pleasant despite her senses being on high alert for 'unsavoury characters', almost second nature now when walking through the port. On her first day there she had almost inadvertently been drawn into two drug deals, a fight, and some business venture that was most definitely of questionable legality. She had since learned to project an air of 'do not approach' like a true Kadaran.

She walked hand-in-hand with Suvi ahead of the others, leading the way through the crowds that gathered in the market. She felt Suvi glancing curiously about herself, at the array of different stalls they were passing by; shops built up out of scrap metal and tarps with flashing neon signs hung above them proclaiming their wares, benches and tables laden with goods. Mostly angaran, but now with a large Milky Way presence too.

"They built something out of nothing, even without the Nexus' aid," she commented, and Sara sensed a hint of…pride in her voice. That the exiles had come to this place and made it their own when they had nothing but the clothes on their back. A display of Milky Way resilience.

"They had Sloane. She could single-handedly settle even the most hostile climate if she put her mind to it," Sara joked. Through the crowd she spied the ever present armoured security, arms slack, guns holstered so as not to incite panic. They moved in pairs, or solo amongst the people, who paid them little notice. But there were more than usual, at Theron's behest she suspected. Or maybe Kaetus shared his colleague's fears?

"I've heard she is improving relations with the locals, too," Jaal spoke from behind them. Sara looked over her shoulder in surprise, but before she could vocalise it, Liam had spoken up.

"You sure?" He asked, frowning in amusement at Jaal. "Sloane Kelly? Yay, high," he held one hand up in a rough estimate of Sloane's height, "never smiles, attitude you can spot from orbit?"

Jaal gave a little 'hmm' and a wry smile. "Yes, her."

"And when you say 'improving'…?" Sara left the sentence hanging.

"They still don't like her," Jaal explained. "But things are better."

"Baby steps," Vetra said.

"Hey, I wouldn't complain. The worse she looks, the better Ditaeon looks, right?" Peebee grinned at them.

"That's not a good thing, kid," Drack growled from behind her. "Sloane still represents the Milky Way."

Peebee glanced back at him. She hadn't thought of that. "Good point…"

Drack let out a harsh bark of laughter. "Don't sound so surprised."

"Okay, let's get our polite heads on, yeah?" Sara asked as they neared the edge of the market. Ahead of them was a huge thick metal door, the only way into Sloane's domain, flanked by two guards standing to attention with their automatic rifles held across their bodies, fingers outside the trigger guard, ready for action.

"Yes, ma'am," Peebee mock-saluted.

Drack gave a low chuckle, a sound like boulders grating. "I don't have a 'polite head'," he told her.

"That's what I'm afraid of," Sara muttered. The door panels parted automatically, leading them out of the bright Kadaran day and into the dingy gloom of the Outcast Headquarters; a warren of rusting metal wall panels and steel grating. Usually it was relatively empty, but today a steady stream of party-goers choked the corridors. Sara could see guards standing in front of doorways that lead further into Sloane's kingdom, blocking them off and guiding the civilians towards the heart of HQ, Sloane's 'throne room', the wide space where she held her parties.

"Love what she's done with the place," Vetra remarked sarcastically, staring up at a light that was flickering sporadically above them.

Sara shot her a dark look. "Shhh!" She hissed. "Don't get us thrown out before we even _get_ there!"

"Yeah, Vetra, at least let me grab _one_ free beer first!" Gil grinned up at the turian.

Vetra rolled her eyes. "Is that all you care about?"

"Pathfinder!" Sara looked up at the voice, and found her gaze directed towards a female human guard standing at the head of a queue that had formed in front of the doors to Sloane's party, holding a datapad in one hand, waving to the Tempest crew with the other. "Over here!"

Sara exchanged a look with Cora, who shook her head and shrugged, then lead the group towards the guard who was counting the heads of the Tempest crew. She glanced down at her datapad, swiping through a list and nodding to herself.

"Okay, you guys go on in," she said, looking up and smiling at Sara.

"Um, okay," Sara said, a little bewildered. Sloane was giving them special treatment? That had to be unheard of.

Liam whistled appreciatively. "VIP treatment? I could get used to this!"

"Please move," Peebee muttered out of the corner of her mouth, "everyone is glaring at us."

The guard looked up at Drack as though considering declining entry to a krogan. She opened her mouth to say something, but Drack glared menacingly down at her and she faltered. "Got something you wanna say?"

She closed her mouth and shook her head adamantly. "Enjoy the party!"

Drack snorted as he stomped passed her, following the rest of the crew. "That's what I thought."

Already a large crowd had gathered in the room. Turians, asari, angarans and humans, standing around chatting and drinking in groups around tables or dancing in the space cleared in the middle of the floor. Music thumped from speakers in all four corners, Milky Way music that made Sara feel oddly homesick for a moment, until she felt Suvi squeeze her fingers lightly. She glanced down to see the redhead looking around the room with interest, taking in everything as though studying their surroundings for future analysis.

The feeling faded. Where ever Suvi was, that was her home now.

"Okay, if you're going to stand there making googly eyes at each other, I'm going to go find somewhere to sit," Gil announced, clapping Sara on the shoulder as he hurried passed her, trying to hide an amused grin from the Pathfinder.

"Over there!" Peebee darted passed him, pointing towards a free table at the back of the room by the wide slanted windows. Her path brought her by Sloane's dais, and the Queen of Kadara's flinty stare tracked the group as they followed the asari.

"Ryder, if I have to throw you out again…." Sloane twitched one eyebrow in warning. She lounged on her throne with Theron stood beside her, leaning sideways against the chair with a bottle of beer in hand. Theron tapped the neck of her bottle against her temple in greeting, grinning broadly.

Sara resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "I'll be on my best behaviour," she promised drily. Sloane responded with a sceptical grunt and turned her gaze elsewhere.

Peebee dropped down onto a scuffed metal bar stool and folded her arms on the thick metal table top, looking incredibly pleased with herself for her find.

Vetra tipped her head to one side as she neared, running one claw along a scratch in the surface. "Pretty sure this is hull plating."

"Waste not, want not," Cora said, scraping back a chair and sitting.

"I'll go grab us some drinks," Liam said with a grin, rubbing his palms together and glancing about himself to locate the bar.

"If Umi offers you anything experimental, do _not_ take her up on it," Sara warned him seriously.

"Noted. So, beers all around?" He asked, looking from face to face, and was met with a chorus of affirmatives. "Be right back!" He turned and hurried away.

Sara watched him disappear into the crowd, then slid into a chair and turned to Drack with a grin, "So, is Umi still trying to mix a drink that'll knock your socks off, Drack?" She asked the Krogan.

Drack gave a snort of laughter. "I don't wear socks, so good luck with that," he said. "No, she can keep trying. She'll never bring me down." He curled his claws and thumped his chest with one hand.

"She definitely brought Ryder down," Peebee sniggered. Sara glowered at her. The asari was determined to cling onto that until the day she died, bringing it up at any chance.

"It wasn't my fault!" Sara insisted. "She mixed ryncol with angaran wine!"

"Two very potent drinks," Jaal stated in amusement. "You should have declined."

"Suvi, they're ganging up on me!" Sara whined, tipping her head back to look up at Suvi, who had remained standing beside her.

"Aw," Suvi said sympathetically, combing her fingers through Sara's pony tail. "What do you expect me to do about it?"

Sara gave her a look of utmost betrayal.

"Uhoh!" Gil laughed at Sara. "looks like you're on your own!"

"You're all fired." Sara pouted at her crew.

"Hey!" Cora and Vetra protested as one.

"What did we do?" Cora demanded, in mock outrage. She and Vetra exchanged a look, then returned their gaze to Sara.

"Except you two." Sara wagged a finger between them.

"Beer!" Liam gleefully announced and leaned between Sara and Drack to put down a tray in the middle of the table laden with drinks. The metal bottles were frosted with condensation.

"And Liam," Sara added, reaching for a beer bottle.

"Eh?" Liam paused handing out the drinks to frown at her, dark eyes flicking from colleague to colleague.

"Sara fired us," Gil casually explained as he gratefully took his beer from Liam.

"Oh, okay," Liam said, unfazed as though it were a regular occurrence. "So, this one is for you, Vetra," he handed over a bottle that looked identical to the others save for a glyph on the label that marked it as dextro. "Enjoy your weird thing. We have proper beer. At least, Umi said it was proper." He gave the turian a playful wink.

"It's not weird, it's dextro-based," Vetra informed him defensively. "Ryder, fire him too. We can have a girls only crew."

"Aw, that sounds fun! Can I be re-hired?" Peebee asked hopefully.

"I'll think about it," Sara grinned at her and swigged from her bottle.

"How about me?" Suvi asked, enjoying the playful banter. On board the Tempest, while she worked on her data or aided Kallo, she often felt like an invisible divide separated her from her colleagues. Here, she felt truly part of the group. "Can I be rehired?"

Sara didn't even pause to think. "Oh definitely..." She said with a smirk, wrapping an arm around her waist. Suvi leaned into her with a triumphant grin.

Peebee gasped, pointing an accusatory finger at Suvi. "Favouritism!"

"Well, duh!" Vetra shook her head at the asari, as though surprised she had even considered Sara would decline the request from Suvi. She looked to Cora, mandibles twitching in amusement. "I thought asari were meant to be smart?"

"They are usually," Cora replied. "Liam, what's wrong?" She asked as Peebee opened her mouth for an indignant comeback. He had been stood staring into space with a bizarre look on his face for the duration of the conversation.

"This beer is..." Liam started, oblivious to the drama as he paused to look down at the bottle in his hand. It was weird and yet familiar. "Kinda hoppy," he finished.

"Hoppy?" Drack growled in confusion.

"It's made with Kadaran ingredients to a Milky Way recipe," Theron spoke up from behind them as she neared their table, pride evident in her voice. "Pretty good, huh?" She leaned a hand on the backrest of Sara's chair and crossed her ankles. Drack shifted his weight, making room for her.

"Not bad," Liam agreed with a nod of his head. "Though nothing beats a nice cold cider on a hot day. You brewing up something like that?" He asked hopefully.

"Unfortunately not, but I'll look into it," Theron grinned and pointed the neck of her own bottle at him.

"Thought you were drinking with the queen?" Sara teased. She still wasn't sure how she felt about her old friend. Definitely tolerant, she didn't feel the need to punch her in the face. Yet.

"Yeah, but I figured I should come see how the peasants are doing," Theron replied, grey eyes twinkling playfully as she brought her bottle to her lips.

"Charming..." Suvi commented.

Theron swallowed and grinned at her. "Hey, doc, didn't expect to see you here."

Suvi paused, raising one eyebrow as she tried to work out whether or not Theron was insulting her. "Oh?"

"Yeah," Theron said, "you academic sorts usually avoid parties like the plague."

Gil snorted. "I bet she could drink you under the table."

Theron grinned broadly at Suvi. "Yeah? Challenge accepted! I'll get the shots!" She tapped her hand against the back of Sara's chair and stood up straight to go and do just that.

"Uh... No?" Suvi said nervously. While she may brave parties, drinking to get drunk was so not her thing. A game of shots was just that, although, she supposed, the aim was to outdrink the opponent, hold the spirits better. Still, not something she felt like doing.

Sara rescued her by speaking up, "can we stop corrupting my sweet and innocent girlfriend please?"

Theron started laughing. "Innocent?!" She cried. "There was nothing innocent about the words coming out of her mouth this morning in your quarters," she gave Sara's shoulder a playful punch. "Talk about being caught in the moment!"

Suvi promptly began choking on her beer, cheeks flaming to match her fiery hair.

Sara bristled on her girlfriend's behalf, the sudden urge to punch Theron rising. So much for feeling tolerant… "Excuse me?!" She spluttered.

Theron gave the Pathfinder a look of wide-eyed innocence that was ruined seconds later by a wicked grin.

Suvi glowered at her, cheeks flushed red with embarrassment. "You're a wee shite, Theron."

"What's a 'wee shite'?" Peebee asked, baffled.

"Theron," Suvi grumbled, scowling into her beer.

"A little shit," Liam clarified for the asari. "And also Theron." He frowned at the tall black-haired woman, not liking her purposely trying to humiliate Suvi, or the glee she seemed to find in it.

"Ouch," Theron touched a hand to her heart in mock insult, grey eyes on Liam, but couldn't hide the mischief in her expression.

"There's nothing wrong with letting 'em know you're having fun. The louder the better, I say!" Drack gave a deep chuckle.

"Not helping..." Suvi muttered. She turned her bottle in her hands, finding the neck suddenly incredibly interesting. Sara's hand felt hot on the small of her back and she was sure the crew were staring at her, if not judging her.

"What were you doing on Tempest this morning anyway?" Sara asked, shooting Theron a suspicious look. She hadn't seen Theron, and no one else had mentioned seeing her. Not even SAM had brought the unscheduled visit to her attention.

"Peebee invited me," Theron said plainly, as if that explained everything.

Sara looked scandalised, turning to stare at the asari.

Before she could open her mouth to ask, Peebee quickly said, "she was helping me mod my omni-tool. I needed some parts that are hard to find. Theron got them for me."

"Had to climb the ladder outside your room to get to Peebee's," Theron added, ignoring the death glare Sara had fixed her with and winking at Suvi.

Suvi's turquoise eyes narrowed, humiliation at the conversation's content turning to anger. "If we could change the subject...?" She said pointedly, cheeks feeling hot again.

"Who's up for a game of poker?" Gil asked, glancing at Suvi, who gave him a grateful smile. He nodded briefly and looked around the group for answers.

"Oh, yeah, and then you can fleece us!" Liam said, clapping his hands together with overly dramatic excitement.

"Oh, come on, it's not _that_ bad..." Gil said, chuckling.

"No, you only win every time," Vetra stated reasonably.

Theron gave a low whistle. "That bad, huh?"

"He terrorises us," Peebee sighed melodramatically.

"You should play Kaetus," Theron told Gil. "He'll give you a run for your creds."

Gil looked curious. He very much doubted that, his record going unbeaten for so long now, but still. The turian could possibly be a challenge. Harder to read than the humans. Especially Kaetus and his stick-up-the-butt attitude. "I'll bare that in mind."

"He's floating around somewhere," Theron looked over her shoulder, eyes searching the crowd for Sloane's second in command. There weren't too many turians, he should have been easy to spot. "Maybe I can convince him to come off duty for a sec."

Gil pushed back from the table and stood up. "You do that, I'm getting more drinks in." He said, easing his way into the press of party goers and disappearing.

Sara saw Theron stiffen almost imperceptibly. Something she recognized from their time together in the Milky Way. Theron's gaze had caught on something for the briefest of moments, and then slid expertly onwards as though she had noticed nothing. But Sara knew, she suspected trouble.

Her anger was forgotten, replaced with almost nervous anticipation. "What is it?"

"Too many guards," Theron said quietly, still looking for Kaetus in the crowd. She saw him moving towards Sloane on her dais, his stride hurried, with purpose. The three of them had planned out the security detail for the party to the finest detail. With Vidal attacking Ditaeon they had suspected an assault on the port would come sooner or later. Kaetus had noticed the discrepancy too.

She counted ten extra bodies, all wearing helmets to hide their faces, scattered amongst the civilians in an attempt to disguise themselves amongst the numbers. Two helmeted guards stood at the main door. That was fine. But they were human when Kaetus had originally given the job to two turians. One of the humans shifted weight. Behind him the door panel gleamed red, locked.

"Ah, crap," Theron grumbled. She had barely taken one step away from the table when a shout of alarm broke through the noise of the party and a ripple of panic spread outwards through the crowd. Thick white smoke billowed from the epicentre. Theron strained her ears, heard the second metallic rattle and hiss, followed the noise with her eyes. Her gaze homed in on the smoke grenades amongst the partygoers' feet. She whipped round, shoved Sara and Suvi out of the way, pulling the table onto its side with a loud clang.

"Down!" She ordered, scrambling behind their makeshift cover just as the first gunshots rent the air. Bullets sparked off the speakers near the ceiling, cutting the music so that now the only sound was terrified screaming, and the imposter-guards yelling something about the Collective. Pandemonium broke out as the room began to fill with thick choking smoke and panicking civilians ran for the doors only to find them locked. The Collective tried to corral them back into the centre of the room by firing blindly into the crowd, attempting to assert dominance through fear, serving only to fan the flames of utter chaos.

"Hah, wild party!" Drack cackled, sounding almost complimentary.

"I don't think this is what Sloane had in mind..." Theron replied, peeping over the table. She could barely see through the thick white smoke. Nondescript shadows surging, muzzle flash, spray of crimson. It was chaos. She swore and ducked back down. "Be right back." She dived out of cover and sprinted away, disappearing into the smoke.

"Gil is out there," Suvi told Sara quietly, expression deceptively calm while her eyes were wide and frightened. Sara looked away from her, cursing under her breath.

* * *

Theron hopped up onto the dais and skidded behind the throne followed by a hail of bullets.

"Excuse me, hi," she greeted Sloane and Kaetus, who were bunkered down behind the chair taking pot shots at the shadows aiming at them.

"Wylde, what the hell do I pay you for?" Sloane spat.

"You can fire me later," Theron replied, dialling in a code at the base of the throne. There was an electronic beep and Theron pulled on a hidden panel in the dais to reveal a weapons cache.

Sloane uttered a vague grunt that left Theron concerned for her future.

Kaetus blinked, avian features registering a rare flicker of surprise. "How long has that been there?" He looked from the cache to Sloane in question.

"One of Theron's ideas," Sloane explained with disdain.

"Yeah, and I'll bet you're glad of it right now!" Theron replied bitterly.

Sloane lifted the pistol she held and waggled it. "I brought a gun."

Theron rolled her eyes. Of course, Sloane was allowed a gun. The only others in the room with weapons were security and their enemies. "I installed it a while ago," she told Kaetus. "Thought she would have told you before now."

Sloane ignored the pointed comment. "Not arming my enemies, I hope?" She asked wryly, looking around her throne for a target. There was a firefight happening across the room, but the smoke was still too thick to tell who was who. She dropped her pistol and snatched a rifle out of Theron's hands as she lifted it out of the cache, flicked the scope on and raised it to her eye. The room appeared in shades of red.

"Perfect..." She saw a helmeted guard advancing on their position, took aim, and fired. His head snapped back from the impact and he dropped to the ground, dead.

"The Pathfinder needs arming," Theron said, picking up the three remaining weapons. "And then I'll figure out how to vent the smoke."

"I'll tell security to keep their helmets off," Kaetus said. "Hopefully the Collective aren't patched into our comms..."

"That much I'm certain of," Theron told him, having been monitoring their network throughout the day. She had spotted no anomalies. Sloane snorted, showing her confidence in Theron's certainty. Theron glowered, and a biotic shield flickered around her as she turned and dashed back into the smoke, heading for the tempest crew.

"This is all we have," she said, handing rifles to Sara, Vetra and Liam. "Best I can do. Scopes are heat sensitive, aim for the guys with helmets."

"And what will you use?" Liam asked, brow creased with concern.

"She's biotic," Sara said, testing her scope. She looked up at Theron to smile in thanks but stopped at the other woman's expression. Theron looked as though she had swallowed a lemon whole.  
"What's wrong?"

"I think I just got fired..."

Sara's hands stilled on her weapon in surprise. "What? How is this your fault?" Theron gave her a deadpan look. "I mean, I know it's your fault, I'm just trying to be nice."

"Thanks anyway," Theron sighed.

"Could you guys maybe do this later?" Cora asked in disbelief as a bullet struck the table by her head and left a divot in the thick metal. She eyed the damage warily.

"Right," Sara said, as though she had forgotten they were in the middle of a firefight, protected only by a thick metal table.

Suvi's heart leaped into her throat as Sara made to look over their cover. No helmet, no shields, an easy target. She caught Sara's arm to stop her, begging, "don't."

"Aw," Theron grinned at them as a biotic barrier snapped into place around her and she popped up over their cover. "Oh no, you don't!" Rippling purple energy coiled around one fist as she thrust her arm out and flicked her wrist. A strangled yelp announced her biotics throwing a male turian into the air, halting his attempt at a stealthy approach towards them. "Up!" She called, and Sara pulled free of Suvi to pop up, take aim, and fire. The turian crashed back down to earth, dead. "Thank you for flying with Theron airways, we hope you enjoyed your trip," Theron sniggered as she crouched beside Sara.

"You're an idiot," Sara informed her. Cora used her biotics to flick the corpse's weapon into her hands.

Bullets ricocheted and flashed against their cover. Suvi ducked lower, swearing under her breath.

Sara paused, studying Theron a moment. Did she trust Theron? Yes. Her morals were questionable, but she wasn't inherently bad. She was good in a fight, packed a punch, biotics powerful. She would protect Suvi.

"I need you to take Suvi back to the tempest."

Theron looked confused. "Uh..."

"Wait, what?!" Suvi stared at Sara.

"I can't concentrate with you here, I'm worrying about you getting hurt," Sara told her.

Suvi glared, hating being a liability. "Am I not safest here with you? Who knows what's going on out there!" Out in the streets of Kadara it could be just as chaotic as in here. Besides. Leave Sara in the middle of a firefight? Like hell she would!

"Theron will protect you, I need you out of here." Out of danger, protected by a powerful biotic with light fingers. Their cover was dangerously close to being punctured now, peppered by dents from bullets. Suvi had zero combat training and Sara feared she couldn't keep Suvi safe as well as keeping a clear mind.

"The door's still locked, you know?" Suvi pointed out.

"Theron!"

Theron looked towards the voice as she recognized it and her eyes went wide. "Kaplan, get your helmet off, you idiot! Didn't you hear Kaetus?" He had found a fallen table close to their own and was hiding behind it, gun clutched across his body as he stared across the space between them, glad to have found Theron and the Pathfinder.

"Yes, but-"

"No, get it off! You're lucky we didn't shoot you!"

Kaplan wrenched his helmet off and crouched down lower behind the table, clearly frightened. He dropped the helmet and motioned to Sara. "I heard the Pathfinder, you can go through the maintenance tunnels. I downed the guy that was guarding it and you can unlock the door with your code."

"Do it," Sara ordered.

"Can we evacuate the civilians that way, too?" Liam asked.

Theron shook her head. "No, the corridors are too narrow, the panic could cause more harm than good. It's too dangerous," she said. "Best bet is to get the entrance open."

Sara nodded her head, a plan already forming. "Got it."

Suvi attempted to protest, "Sara-"

"Suvi, _please_ ," Sara said desperately.

Suvi hesitated, staring into brilliant blue eyes that begged her to listen. Her heart thudded wildly in her chest, she was terrified, but the need to stay with Sara outweighed the want to escape. However, her being there was distracting Sara, and that put Sara in danger.

Suvi huffed a short breath out through her mouth, then grabbed the back of Sara's neck and pulled her in for a hard kiss.

"Stay safe," she said, releasing Sara and moving away before she could change her mind.

"I will," Sara promised.

"Follow me," Kaplan said. Theron pressed a hand against the small of Suvi's back, shielding the redhead with her body as they moved after Kaplan.

Sara watched as they scurried away into the smoke, then turned to her crew. "Cora and Drack take point, draw fire. Cora, project a barrier for you both. The rest of us will follow and take out as many Collective as we can. Peebee, watch our six. Jaal, I want you opening that door. Be ready, I'll bet they're guarding the other side. No heroics. No one's getting hurt on my watch."

* * *

Theron and Kaplan were placing themselves between Suvi and the gunfire and she hated it. Hated feeling so helpless, hated being perceived as so delicate that she had to be ferried off to safety. What about the hundreds of civilians cowering and screaming in terror and confusion as two factions fired bullets over their heads?

"Watch the body." Kaplan caught her elbow and guided her around some dark crumpled form on the floor. She hadn't seen it amongst the smoke, could barely see it now. Something dark and wet glistened on the floor from the light shining over the doorway. She swallowed hard and looked away.

Theron keyed a code into a small panel beside a door barely wide enough for a krogan to walk through and pushed. The door swung open into a dark corridor. Suvi and Kaplan hurried through and Theron shut the door, which locked itself again with an electronic buzz. Suvi sucked in a lungful of dank air that seemed sweet after the smoky room. Her throat burned, and she felt like she was struggling to breath. She coughed and rubbed the heels of her hands into stinging eyes, blinking to clear them.

The corridor was gloomy, narrow. Pipes ran along the ceiling, bundles of cables snaked along the walls, trailing onwards and disappearing where the corridor T-ed in the distance. Lights shone from high up on the walls, glowing a pathetic orange, and somewhere a leak dripped persistently, barely heard over the muffled screams and gunfire from the other side of the thick walls.

"Come on," Theron murmured, voice echoing faintly. She started off ahead. "We can get to the docks through here without leaving the tunnels."

Suvi fell into step beside the taller woman. She felt cold and was beginning to tremble, the results of her adrenaline rush fading. She folded her arms over her chest and took a deep breath in an effort to get the tremors under control.

"I'll make sure security in the docks knows we're coming," Kaplan said, holstering his assault rifle on his back and dialling up his omni-tool. Theron saw an extra blaze of orange splash against the wall as they walked, boots echoing around them. "This is Kaplan, escorting Dr Anwar to safety with Wylde. En route to Tempest." He paused, and Theron could hear a tinny voice respond to him via an in-ear radio. "The Pathfinder's girlfriend, you idiot," Kaplan hissed. "Okay, thanks. Kaplan, out."

"And I though everyone knew about you two," Theron joked, nudging Suvi playfully in the ribs with her elbow. Suvi managed a weak smile, feeling sick. She had never been in a fight before. Sure, she had directed the Tempest ground crew multiple times mid fight-for-their-lives, had seen the live feeds from their helmets. She had been on the bridge while Kallo dodged and wove them through a dog-fight as the kett attempted to seize control of Meridian. But she had _never_ been in amongst the fighting, bunkering down behind cover while bullets zipped by overhead. And everyone had been so _calm_ about it.

They reached the end of the corridor and Theron lead them along the left branch of the T-junction. The corridors seemed to stretch away forever, with more branching off, and metal doorways set deep into the walls. Each door and corridor had a small metal sign with directional arrows to help navigate the warrens in both Basic and Angaran. Armoury, water treatment, security, slums, docks, market…Suvi lost count.

"Where _are_ we?" She asked curiously. She'd had no idea anything like this even existed behind the scenes of the port city.

"The nervous system of Kadara," Theron told her mysteriously with a grin. "You can get anywhere in the port through here. It's mainly just behind-the-scenes maintenance, though. You know, technical systems, water and waste networks, that kinda stuff."

Suvi nodded, glancing around herself curiously, wondering where the pipes and cables were going, what part of Kadara Port they carried energy or water to, then suddenly stiffened. "What was that?" She asked sharply.

"What was-" Theron's question was swallowed by a choke as something hit her from behind and sent her muscles into spasm. Her legs gave out and she dropped to the ground, twitching.

 _What_ \- the thought had barely formed before Suvi dropped beside her in a similar state, turquoise eyes wide and fearful and locked onto Theron's as she realized they had been lead straight into a trap.

Theron recognized the feeling of thousands of volts of electrical current overloading her nervous system. She couldn't move, couldn't even gather enough biotic energy for the tiniest of barriers. She heard boots scuffing against the ground ahead, counted five, maybe six, people approaching.

"Nice work," soft voice, female.

"What are you-?" Kaplan started nervously. "No! Wait!" Single gun shot. Kaplan collapsed behind them somewhere.

Suvi gasped. Theron kept her eyes on the science officer's, straining to move, to use her powers, _anything_. Her muscles had seized, felt tight, like they had been locked for hours.

"It's…gonna…be…okay…" She forced out, her tongue thick in her mouth. A lie that Suvi clearly didn't believe.

"Take the redhead," that soft female voice again. "Kill the spare."

Theron grit her teeth, trying to regain control of her body as footsteps came closer. Armoured legs appeared behind Suvi, scratched and coated with a film of dust that turned black paint grey. Theron refused to shift her gaze from Suvi's eyes, but it was obvious Suvi sensed the person nearby.

"Okay," Theron promised her again. The gun butt flashed down lightning fast, striking the side of Suvi's head. Suvi barely registered surprise before her eyes rolled back into her head. Theron felt a faint biotic pulse within herself, a reaction to danger.

The gun was holstered, gauntleted hands reached down to roughly haul a limp Suvi up, carrying her away before someone else could fire on Theron. A growl was building in her throat, her fingers clawed at the ground. "No!" She snarled. They were taking Suvi. The Collective had Suvi and it was bloody Kaplan's fault, the traitor. How had she been so stupid?

Suvi's abductor sniggered as he walked away, amused by her pathetic state. Theron shoved herself up with great effort, muscles trembling as she braced on her knees, head hanging between her arms. "You…get back… _here_!" She shouted, weak even to her. She could feel her body slowly beginning to obey her commands. Too slow.

"Um…" Turian voice, concerned. Theron looked up to see a bulky human man walking away with Suvi slung over one shoulder. The turian aimed his pistol at Theron as an asari followed the human male back down the branching corridor that they had arrived from, out of sight. Theron threw herself sideways and the shot went wide. The second grazed her thigh. She scrambled into an alcove, pressing close to the rusting metal door and clutching at her leg. Blood flowed freely between her fingers as she clamped a hand down on her thigh, screaming in pain and frustration through clenched teeth. The gash wasn't too deep but burned like fire and throbbed angrily.

"Shitfuckbuggerwank!" She needed medigel and a gun. Kaplan had both. His corpse lay several feet away in the corridor, a crimson pool gathering around his head, shimmering in the low lighting.

Theron huffed out several short breaths through her mouth to ground herself, then snapped a biotic barrier around her body and threw herself out into the open, launching a biotic throw down the corridor towards the four Collective goons that had stayed behind. She heard them scatter, the 'oof' as one was knocked from his feet. She seized Kaplan by his chest plate and began dragging him back towards her alcove, leaving a bloody smear across the floor. Bullets began to strike her back, absorbed by her barrier. The spray of an automatic almost knocked her flat on her front. She was breathing heavily by the time she made it into cover, feeling the effects of biotic fatigue. Her biotic implant felt hot. She couldn't keep this up for much longer.

Kaplan had several medigel sachets tucked away in his utility belt. Theron tore one open and spread the gel across the wound in her thigh. Immediately the cool gel began to numb the area. She dropped the empty sachet and launched a wild biotic attack down the corridor as she heard the hostiles begin an approach, then grabbed Kaplan's gun and kicked his corpse away. The weapon unfolded in her hands and she fired blind towards the Collective, sending them scurrying back into cover.

Theron needed backup but with the attack most likely having inside help she had no idea who to contact for aid. But first... She put through an audio only comms request to the dock.

" _Dock security_ ," came the answer in a lazy drawl.

"Lock it down," Theron ordered. She could hear the Collective discussing a plan of attack down the corridor. Her biotics frightened them, but they knew they had her outnumbered and outgunned. One of them would have to bite the proverbial bullet and act as a distraction while the others pushed towards her. She wouldn't let that happen.

" _Excuse me_?" Came the reply, confused and a little aggressive. He didn't like his authority being challenged.

Theron felt a flash of anger. This wasn't the time for petty quarrels. "It's Theron Wylde, we're under attack, you have hostiles inbound with one hostage, now lock down the dock!" She snapped.

" _Under whose authority_?" The man sneered. He didn't believe her.

"Are you for real?! Just-" gunfire and the line went dead.

"I swear to God!" Theron hunched lower, knees to chest, as a spray of bullets showered her in rock dust, sparked off metal. She fired blindly around her cover, sending another comms request, this time to Sara.

Her heart beat wildly in her chest. Sara was going to kill her… If the Collective she was pinned down by didn't beat the Pathfinder to it.

" _Little busy, Theron_ ," Sara grunted. Her voice was almost drowned out by screaming and gunfire.

"I really need you to stay calm," Theron said nervously.

" _I am calm_."

Theron swallowed. Hesitated, then, "we were jumped, Suvi's been taken," she said in a rush.

Silence. Then, " _Suvi's been_ _ **taken**_?" Sara's voice was high, strangled.

" _What_?!" An astounded Cora in background.

"No time to explain," Theron flinched as a spray of gunfire strafed alongside her alcove, dangerously close by. The Collective had shifted position, trying to get a better line on her. "I'm pinned down but know where they're headed, come help me and we'll get her back."

" _You literally had one job_!" Sara cried shrilly.

Theron launched another biotic attack down the corridor, weaker this time. A wave of dizziness crashed over her. She swallowed hard, took a deep breath, blinking rapidly to refocus her eyes. "Go through the door we left through, follow the corridor to the left and you'll find me. My code is five-seven-three-six-zero."

Sara's response was a low growl just before she cut comms.

She could hear the Collective moving again, trying to find a position where they could see her. She briefly considered shoving open the door she huddled against, decided not to. It was some kind of storage room. A dead end.

She swung her gun around her cover and fired, spraying randomly. As the Collective ducked back towards their own cover, she leaned out of hers and took aim. One of the four went down without a sound, dead. She aimed for another, squeezed the trigger. The gun clicked empty. Theron felt her blood run cold. She saw the turian she aimed for pause and look back at her, saw him realize her gun was out of ammo. As he raised his weapon to fire, Theron launched a biotic projectile at him and threw herself back into her alcove. She felt sick, her implant was burning, and her hands shook. She leaned her head back against cool duracrete and closed her eyes, trying to steady her breathing. She didn't have the energy to fight, didn't have the ammo. Of all the rotten luck…Maybe Kaplan had a spare clip?

Three shots fired in quick succession, coming from the opposite direction the Collective hid in, made her eyes snap back open. Sara strode passed her hiding spot towards the Collective. Theron could hear a low groaning. A fourth shot from Sara's weapon ended that. Theron dragged herself upright and stood leaning against the wall for support. Her limbs felt weak, throat tight with nausea. Sara rounded on her, jaw set, eyes cold and hard.

Theron flinched from the intensity of that stare. "Ryder, I-"

"Shut up and go," Sara growled. Whatever it was Theron had to say, she didn't want to hear it. She had trusted her, trusted Theron to keep Suvi safe, and now the Collective had Suvi and Sara didn't know what to do.

Theron wisely kept her mouth shut.

* * *

Theron had lead them along the corridor she had seen the Collective duo had ferry Suvi down, towards the docks. They were sprinting, desperately hoping to make up the time they had lost already, hoping to catch the abductors before they got too far. Theron felt her already flagging energy levels dwindle further, had to keep blinking dancing spots out of her vision. Too many biotic attacks. At least to uncomfortable burning sensation from her implant had cooled.

Daylight streamed into the corridor in the distance, the door hanging off its hinges.

"I think they're taking the docks," Theron puffed, straining her ears to hear signs of fighting but finding none. She wasn't sure if that was good or bad.

"Kallo and Lexi are on board Tempest," Sara said, keeping pace with Theron, "they commed me when the fighting started there. I told them to stay put. The Collective are everywhere. We got the civilians out of HQ and are working on rounding up Vidal's buddies."

"Did you find Gil?" Theron glanced sideways at Sara, trying to disguise her ragged breathing.

"He tackled some guy that was about to gun down two angaran girls so he's the hero of the hour," Sara said, slowing her pace as they neared the open door. Black scorch marks on the wall showed where small charges had been detonated at the hinges to blast the door open. "He's okay. Couple of scrapes."

"Bet he's loving that," Theron commented, stepping out into the open.

They found dock security gunned down around their outpost. A couple of civilian corpses lay crumpled on the walkways. Otherwise the docks were empty, silent.

Engines roared from a berth further along the platform, a shuttle taking off.

"That's them!" Theron cried, running forwards as though she could catch them. The shuttle rose smoothly into the air and began to speed away.

"Kallo, get Tempest flight ready," Sara ordered into her omni-tool.

"Scratch that, shuttle ready!" Theron said, pointing as she sprinted towards another shuttle with a dead human pilot slumped outside. The engines were already running, the pilot collapsed on the walkway with a gun in her hand, chest riddled with bullets. Theron leaped inside.

"Never mind," Sara told Kallo, following Theron. "Cora's in charge, I'm going after Suvi."

" _Suvi?! What happened to_ -" Sara cut the transmission and threw herself into the shuttle as Theron began to pull up. The door slid closed behind her and she staggered into the cockpit, unsteady as the shuttle gained altitude. She braced against the back of Theron's chair with one hand, holding her gun with the other, staring out through the reinforced glass of the cockpit window at the shuttle they were following.

"I swear to God," she spoke, voice low and dangerous, fingers tightening on the back of the chair as she dropped her eyes to the top of Theron's head, "if they hurt her, I will kill you myself."

"Understood," Theron muttered, and there was no trace of humour in her voice. She understood that Sara was in a barely controlled murderous rage and didn't wish to push her.

The shuttle was speeding towards Haarfel, making no moves to evade Theron and Sara, as though the Collective didn't care they were being followed. The sky grew darker as they flew towards the storm gathering in the distance. Heavy dark clouds blotted out the sun and high winds buffeted their vehicle, making it judder and sway. Mountains and craggy hills rose up around them. Theron kept her eyes on the target in front of them, hands flying over the controls as she pushed the engines to their limits.

Sara shoved back from Theron's seat and strode out of the cockpit, into the main area of the shuttle. The buckles of the safety harnesses lining the walls above the twin benches rattled and clunked against hull plating. She stood feet apart, knees bent slightly to keep her balance, checking over the rifle in her hands, letting her fury build, harnessing its energy. Suvi was in that shuttle, and she would have her lover back. She felt the adrenaline coursing through her veins, heart thumping in her chest, blood roaring in her ears.

"Theron, bring us in close to that shuttle," she ordered without looking.

"What the hell do you think I'm trying to do?" Theron demanded, desperately willing their own shuttle to move faster, to catch up with the Collective, to…she didn't know. What could they do except follow? Even if their shuttle had weapons, they couldn't fire. Suvi was on board, damaging the shuttle could harm her.

"Just do it," Sara snapped, glaring over her shoulder into the cockpit. "And then open the doors."

"What?! Why? Are you crazy?" Theron stared back at her, brows knit, mouth agape.

Sara turned to face her, the muscles in her arms bunched, locked hard as marble. "I'm going to jump onto their damn shuttle and fucking _punch_ my way inside, now _stop_ asking stupid questions and just do it!"

Theron continued to stare at her for a moment, then faced front once more, swearing and jerking on the steering column, swinging them around as the Collective suddenly changed course and began heading Northwest, towards Kurinth's Valley. Sara stumbled and swung one arm up to brace her palm against the ceiling.

"Where are they going?" She asked, lurching back towards Theron, her crazy plan suddenly forgotten as she feared the Collective were taking evasive manoeuvres to escape.

"I don't know," Theron murmured. "Maybe you can ask them when you jump on their roof."

"Shut up," Sara snapped, feeling a stab of embarrassment at her rash decision. Suvi was in danger and it inspired recklessness. Rage and fear conspired to cloud her judgment, her ability to think logically.

Ahead, the Collective shuttle skimmed the edge of the mountain they skirted and banked out of sight behind the rocky face. Theron made to follow when a second shuttle rose up in front of them, side on. Its door was open wide, and several Collective clustered inside with weapons trained on Theron and Sara's shuttle.

"Holy-"

Theron swung them around in an attempt to avoid a collision. Sara fell backwards out of the cockpit at the sudden motion, her gun skittering away towards the back of the shuttle, clanging against the rear wall. Her shoulders struck the floor and the breath was knocked from her chest.

The Collective opened fire. Sara shoved herself up on her elbows. She heard the bullets strike the outside hull, pinging against the thick metal plates, and suddenly a muffled _whump_ from one engine. The shuttle rocked and then began to lose altitude. Sara felt her stomach lurch as she began to slide forwards.

"Strap in, Ryder!" Theron shouted, sliding her arms into her own safety harness while furiously trying to get the shuttle under control. The engine screamed as they dropped into a nose dive, Theron jerking up on the controls as they fell towards the hard face of the mountain. Warning lights and alarms blinked and buzzed from the cockpit.

Sara clawed her way over to one of the benches, hauled herself up and fumbled with the crash webbing. She lost her hold on the clasp as the shuttle barely cleared the ridge they had been careening towards. Rock screeched against metal as the underside of the shuttle scraped the mountain. Sara shoved the clasp home and glanced towards the cockpit to see the ground rising rapidly up to meet them, too fast. A flash of metal drew her gaze down towards the base of Theron's seat and she felt her heart climb into her throat. The harness! Theron hadn't secured it. Straps hung loose either side of her, the lock clinking against her seat as she had only shoved her arms through the loops. It wouldn't hold her in.

"Theron!" She cried, too late. They slammed down into the ground. Sara felt herself thrown forwards, her own harness jerking taught against her chest, keeping her locked against the wall. The shuttle bounced, gained air for several brief seconds, and then crashed down again, skidding forwards through a pool of water that exploded upwards in a sheet and came crashing down upon the roof of the shuttle in a thunderous wave before they finally came to rest.

Sara blinked, listening to the harsh sound of her ragged breathing before she finally realized the shuttle was beginning to fill with thick black smoke. Fire. She felt a flash of primal fear as her rattled brain threw out that word.

The engine. It had been damaged when the Collective opened fire on them, the fuel was burning.

"Theron?" She called, tentatively turning her head. Her chest ached from the harness, but a quick mental check didn't suggest any permanent damage had been done.

Theron hung limp in her seat. Sara swore and tugged on the release of her harness, scrabbling free and lunging for the cockpit. They had landed in a shallow pool of water. She could see it lapping at the nose of the shuttle through the cracks that spiderwebbed across the windows.

"Theron?" She said again, moving around Theron's chair and looking down at her. Blood flowed from a gash on the side of her head, streaming down her face in a ribbon of crimson. Sara pulled her arms free of her unsecured harness, hauled her out of her seat and clumsily lifted Theron onto her shoulders, staggering through the shuttle towards the doors. She punched the manual release and the locks disengaged, allowing her to shove the door out and slide it open. Her muscles strained and she had to lean her whole weight into the heavy metal panel, forcing it along its runners. Thick black smoke billowed around the shuttle and she could feel the heat of the flames licking about the engines. If it got too close to the fuel storage…

She leaped out into the water, stumbling under Theron's dead weight, and splashed away from the shuttle, out of the pool onto dry ground where she lay Theron down and felt anxiously for a pulse in her throat. There. She could feel it throbbing against her fingers, slow and steady and strong. She let out a breath of relief and slumped onto her butt beside the other woman, giving herself a moment to recover from the shock of crash-landing. Her head snapped up as she heard the roar of engines above her. The Collective shuttle, swinging by overheard. Sara tensed, waiting for the gunfire, but it never came. They circled the site once before flying away, after their comrades. Sara stared after them in confusion. They had to have seen her, why hadn't they finished her off? She was an easy target, out in the open.

Theron groaned beside her, drawing her attention.

"Oh, God, my head…" Theron moaned, screwing up her face and reaching one hand up, fingers gently probing the edge of her wound. Sara twisted onto her knees to lean over her.

"Theron, you idiot, why didn't you strap in properly?!" She cried.

Theron cracked one eye open, expression creased in pain as daylight exacerbated the headache she felt pounding through her cranium. "I didn't have time, I was trying to stop us hitting the side of a mountain."

Sara huffed a breath through her nose. That was a good point. She sat back on her heels and tapped her omni-tool. "Tempest, I need a pick up," she said. "Have Lexi on standby."

" _Right away, Pathfinder, tracking your location_ ," Kallo responded.

Sara dropped her arm and stared up at the sky in the direction the Collective shuttles had disappeared, a hollow, sick feeling in her chest.

Suvi was gone.


	11. Chapter 8

**A/N: Wise words from Cora inspired by wise words from Rupert Giles (something he said that stuck with me).**

* * *

Reyes Vidal leaned back in his chair, ignoring the creak of protest the furniture uttered in warning, and propped one foot up on the desk in his gloomy private quarters deep beneath the surface of Kadara. He had grown used to the constant sputtering and humming of the generators out in the corridor, hearing it now merely as white noise, a comforting accompaniment to his thoughts. The sporadic reports he had received from the Port didn't sound promising and he could feel his rage building, simmering in his chest hot and tense.

That was, until an asari came barrelling into his room. He turned his head to fix her with a withering glare, faltered when he saw the bright excitement in her hazel eyes. "Yes?" He snapped.

"Beta team just reported in," she said breathlessly, clearly having sprinted to his room to relay the information. "They're en route with one of the Tempest crew. That science officer." She paused to watch him hopefully.

Reyes felt his anger dissipate instantly, replaced instead with excitement. It wasn't the plan, but he could adapt.

Of all the happy accidents…

"Really?" He asked with a slow grin. Things were about to get _very_ interesting. He hauled himself to his feet, hiding a grimace of pain as his leg protested vehemently, fire spreading from his hip down to his knee, and limped his way out of the door. "Put her in that storage closet near the mess. It has a lock on the outside."

"Yessir," the asari said, dipping her head and then hurrying away to do as Reyes bade.

Reyes smirked to himself as he walked, an idea already forming in his quick mind. There were things he needed to do first, preparations to be made, but he was sure the good doctor wouldn't mind. She wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon.

* * *

Suvi woke slowly to a persistent throb just above her left eyebrow. It took several slow seconds for the events of the past couple of hours to catch up, but when they did, her eyes flew open and she sat bolt upright. And promptly wished she hadn't. The world swayed precariously and the throbbing in her head morphed into blinding agony, like a bomb had just gone off inside her skull. She felt a tremor beneath her tongue, stomach heaving as stars exploded across her vision. Once the nausea had passed she felt a stab of fear, believing for a moment that she was blind. Eyes open, eyes closed, there was no difference, just pitch black that pressed on her senses like a physical thing. But no, there was a thin strip of white light along the floor level opposite her. Light seeping into the room beneath a door, she assumed. Where was she?

Instinct told her she was in a small room deep underground. She could feel the walls pressing in on her, the pressure of thousands of tonnes of rock above her, dank, cold air. Her heartrate began to climb, pounding in her head painfully, and her breathing accelerated. She fought to keep the panic from rising.

She had been taken by the Collective, that much was obvious. To what ends, she had no idea. The last thing she remembered was being incapacitated by an electrical current. She tentatively reached up with one hand and touched her fingers to the side of her head. The skin felt tender and her trembling fingers came away tacky with drying blood. She had been knocked out and carted off to…somewhere. Did anyone know where she was? Was she going to die here?

She felt her throat go tight with terror, one hand reaching for her omni-tool cuff. If she could get a message out, activate the tracker, _anything_ \- her fingers brushed only skin. They had taken her omni-tool.

Footsteps in the corridor outside. She scrambled to her feet, trying to ignore the pain her head, the panic bubbling in her chest. An electronic buzz and the door opened. Suvi squinted in the light that flooded the room, blinding brightness sending sharp shards of pain through her head. As her vision adjusted she recognized the smug features of Reyes Vidal and took a nervous step back.

She had seen him on the Tempest once before, with Sara. At the time she had been jealous, watching Sara hang onto his every word. He had seemed so charismatic, his face roguishly handsome, deep brown eyes warm and kind. He was none of that now. His eyes were cold and hard, and there was a cruelty to the smile he sent her way.

He paused in the doorway, arms folded as he looked her up and down with a predatory leer. "So," he said finally. "You're screwing the pathfinder? Do you get a pay rise for that?" He sneered.

Suvi was surprised to feel a flash of anger. "Fuck you!" She cried, fists balling at her sides, eyes narrowed. If she hid her fear behind false bravado she could pretend she truly wasn't fazed, scared out of her mind, trapped in an impossible situation, at the mercy of- She shut down that thought train, swallowed hard. Tried to project the cocky air she had seen Sara face down the Archon with on the bridge of the Tempest.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Reyes took a step forward, looking amused. Suvi took a step back and hit the wall.

"After what you did to that colonist, do you really expect me to believe that?" She asked in challenge. She had no where to go, and Reyes was advancing on her. "Back off!" She ordered, voice wavering.

Reyes rolled his eyes, then whipped one hand out viper-fast, grabbed a fistful of her hair, and dragged her out of the room.

* * *

Sara felt her rage as a hot, roiling black storm cloud gathered heavily about herself as she stormed through her ship. It billowed around her, energy building as lightning prepared to lash out and strike earth. Her eyes were trained on the medbay as she swept the length of the corridor. She had spent the last half an hour at the vidcon, getting a breakdown from Cora and the rest of the crew of the events that had unfolded in Kadara Port after she had left to rescue Theron, and attempt to rescue Suvi. In short, civilian casualties weren't too high, most of the Collective had been killed in the fighting, and a couple had been captured and were being interrogated by Sloane. Sara pitied them. She knew how unforgiving Sloane would be.

But now… She paused as the medbay doors parted before her. Lexi turned as she heard the panel slide open. She was standing beside the bed Theron occupied, looking at a readout on her omni-tool. Theron struggled up onto her elbows, looking somewhat worse for wear. Sara's rage prepared to strike.

"How is she?" She demanded without so much as glancing at Lexi, stomping further into the room.

"Good, all things considered," Lexi said, shutting off her omni-tool and glancing down at Theron before looking back to Sara. "Biotic fatigue, a few minor scrapes, nothing too-"

"Concussion?" Sara interrupted stiffly. Theron tipped her head to one side as she studied Sara, wondering where this was going.

Lexi blinked at Sara's brisk tone. "No, no concu-"

"Get up," Sara cut Lexi off again, blue eyes boring into Theron's like twin chips of ice.

"Eh?" Theron stared at her, glanced uncertainly at Lexi. The asari was frowning in reproach at Sara. Theron shifted her gaze back to Sara,

"Get. Up." Sara's tone was glacial.

Theron rolled her eyes at the dramatics and swung her legs over the edge of the bed, suspecting she was about to be thrown off the Tempest. Instead, Sara crossed the room in three steps and swung a lightning fast right hook that had Theron suddenly on her knees and spitting blood onto the pristine white floor.

"Ryder!" Lexi cried, astounded. It had happened so fast she had barely had time to register Sara moving, let alone stopping her. It would have been impressive had it not happened to _her_ patient in _her_ medbay.

"OW! What the fuck?!" Theron yelped, staring up at Sara as crimson dribbled down her chin. She lifted one hand to her mouth, fingers probing to make sure her teeth were all still in place.

"YOU WERE MEANT TO KEEP HER SAFE!" Sara shouted, voice raw. Her fists were clenched at her sides, tendons standing out like steel cords. Theron was taken aback, frozen in place. She had never seen Sara so wildly out of control, wasn't sure if she should flee or stand her ground.

"Ryder, calm. Down." Lexi ordered, eyes flashing dangerously as she stepped towards the Pathfinder, reaching down one hand to clasp Theron's shoulder almost protectively, "before I _give_ you something to do so."

Sara barred her teeth in a snarl.

Anger pulsed through her, screaming through her veins like fire. Suvi had been under Theron's protection and now Reyes had her. She should have known better than to trust Theron.

"SAM, get Cora down here to escort the Pathfinder out," Lexi said, raising her eyes to the ceiling as though looking at the speakers there meant maintaining eye contact with the AI. She then helped Theron to her feet and sat her on the edge of the bed again to inspect her split lip.

"I don't need escorting," Sara growled, turning on her heel to leave. But Cora was already there, looking bewildered, attracted by the commotion.

"What's going-"

Sara shoved passed her, out into the corridor. Her thoughts were a hot, angry, terrified mess, her body crying for action. She needed to be doing something, needed air, needed to be away from Theron, needed _something_. She had to clear her mind, to think. Kallo had tried tracking Suvi's omni-tool but the trail had gone dead. The Collective had been smart enough to either switch it off or destroy it.

Sloane. She needed Sloane and her knowledge of Kadara. She tapped her own omni-tool and fired off a quick message to the alleged Queen of Kadara.

"Ryder," Cora caught up to her, placing a strong hand on Sara's shoulder and half turning her. Her hazel eyes were filled with concern, not for her superior, but for her friend. Sara's muscles were rigid beneath her fingers, her usually playful blue eyes hurt and angry. She was itching for a fight, had, in fact, just punched Theron. "Come with me."

Sara obediently followed her second-in-command through the ship, feeling her rage ebbing away, to be replaced by shame. She felt a flush building in her cheeks and hung her head as she trailed after Cora. She had allowed her emotions to get the better of her, had lashed out at Theron, had been thrown out of the medbay. Her medbay. Those were not the actions of a leader.

Cora took her to the vidcon, currently the only unoccupied area on board the Tempest. The consoles glowed orange around the circular desk, illuminated from above by a ring of white fluorescents. The windows that curved around the deck showed views of the Kadara docks. The bodies of those killed in the Collective's attack had been covered by sheets and were being taken away one by one by members of Sloane's Outcasts. The sky had grown dark as storm clouds moved in, black and heavy and threatening rain, hiding the sun from view and bringing a premature dusk.

Cora paused before the desk and leaned back against it, hands gripping the edge either side of herself as she faced the Pathfinder. "I get that your angry," she said, and Sara looked up at her, "but you can't let this continue." She shook her head, eyes soft and understanding.

The muscles in Sara's jaw bunched as she grit her teeth, then released, "I trusted Theron. Suvi has been abducted _because_ of her." She lifted one hand and angrily shoved her bangs back out of her face, bunching her fingers in her hair as though that might relieve some of the tension she felt. "It's like she corrupts everything she touches-"

"Stop," Cora's voice was sharp, authoritative and Sara couldn't help but to obey, immediately halting her words and dropping her hand to her side. "Theron isn't to blame here, and neither are you. The people we should be blaming are the Collective and Reyes Vidal."

Sara balked. She supposed, in the back of her mind, she had also been blaming herself for sending Suvi away from her side. Theron had been the easier target. "But-"

"No buts," Cora cut across her. "What would Suvi say?" She asked pointedly. "If she could see the state you're in now?"

Sara narrowed her eyes, scowling at Cora. "Low blow…" She muttered.

Cora shifted her weight, crossing her arms over her chest and lifting one eyebrow. "Did it work?"

"Yes," Sara grudgingly admitted, rubbing at the back of her neck awkwardly. She felt like an idiot for losing control in front of Lexi. In front of everyone, really. Most of her crew had seen her storming through the ship. And she knew the soft look of disappointment that Suvi would have fixed her with had she seen Sara deck Theron.

"She needs you clear headed and focussed," Cora stated, as though giving a private a pep talk. "To do that, you need to move passed your feelings for Theron. You never had closure in the Milky Way and you've allowed the wound to fester. Now Theron's here you can talk to her, forgive her-"

Sara adamantly shook her head, "She doesn't deserve my forgiveness." She met Cora's gaze, frowning slightly. Had Theron been a stranger, her actions wouldn't have affected Sara quite so much. But Theron hadn't been a stranger, she had been a friend, and that was what hurt the most.

"Ryder, we don't forgive people because they _deserve_ it, we forgive them because they need it," Cora unfolded her arms and crossed the short space between them to place her hands on Sara's upper arms. "And I think Theron needs to hear it as much as you need to say it."

Sara looked at her uncertainly. She didn't want this anger, this black rage she felt. It was an open wound, she knew, and it needed to heal. "I…I don't…" Sara dropped her gaze, trying to find the words.

"I know you can do it," Cora said. When Sara looked back up at her, Cora was smiling softly. "You're a good person, Ryder. Hating's not your style." She squeezed Sara's arms to reassure her. "I'll let you think on that." She released Sara and made her way down the ramp, out of sight. Sara stood staring into space for a moment, contemplating her words, until her omni-tool chimed a message landing. She lifted her arm and tapped on the wristband to open it.

Sloane was on her way. Good.

"Ryder," Theron spoke softly, nervously, from behind her.

Sara tensed, didn't turn. She hadn't heard the other woman approach. "Not now, Theron." She couldn't even bring herself to look at her despite Cora's words.

"Sara, _please_ ," Theron begged. Sara looked up at that and twisted round to face her, startled by the desperation in her voice. Bright red split her lower lip, but Lexi had cleaned her up. Apparently, Theron had opted out of medigel for the wound and Sara briefly wondered why.

Theron's grey eyes were troubled, haunted even. "I didn't get the chance to try," she said, voice raw. "Kaplan zapped me from behind and by the time I was back in control it was too late." Sara realized she was speaking about Suvi. Theron took a step forwards, limping on the leg that had been grazed by a bullet. Sara frowned. Why the Hell hadn't Lexi fixed her up?

"Suvi is..." Theron faltered. Suvi Anwar was a sweet Scottish scientist that had no business being caught up in a firefight. She was innocent, and Theron had failed in the most basic of duties, keeping her safe. "You _have_ to let me help you."

"Okay," Sara breathed, stunned by the impact it had had on Theron.

Theron let out a breath of relief, shoulders relaxing fractionally. "I won't let you down."

"Okay," Sara said again, stronger this time. She doubted that very much but couldn't bring herself to be so cruel as to say so. She cleared her throat awkwardly. "And I'm... Sorry I hit you."

Theron raised her eyes to meet Sara's, earnest but beaten. "I'm not."

Again, Sara frowned. She had to wonder, then, had Theron declined treatment out of guilt? Before she could ask there was a voice from behind her.

"Ryder." Sloane had arrived. Sara looked over her shoulder at her, saw her incline her head, miss-matched eyes staring passed Sara. "Wylde."

"Did you find out what happened?" Theron asked. She wasn't entirely sure where she stood with her boss right now and studied her closely to gauge the reaction. Sloane's nature was one of perpetual irritation, but Theron had come to recognise the different grades of that irritation. It was currently running at 'someone is going to die'. She wasn't sure if that was aimed at her or someone else. Hopefully Reyes Vidal was the sole target.

Sloane drew in a deep breath through her nose, expelled it with a loud huff as she strode closer to the table, arms swinging casually at her sides in a way that suggested she was itching to strike something. Theron discretely inched around the table away from her under the pretence of inspecting one of the idle consoles.

"They cut through the fence in the slums, then blasted their way in via the maintenance door down there. Small charge, little boom. No one bats an eye because there's always some kind of drama down there. No one investigates. Rats in my Warrens, you know the rest. Kaetus pulled it from the security footage." She narrowed her eyes furiously, scowling out of one of the windows as her jaw worked angrily, teeth grinding.

"How is Kaetus?" Sara asked with concern.

Sloane answered without looking, "he'll live."

Theron gave a start, eyes darting between the two women in front of her. "What's wrong with Kaetus?!"

"Took a bullet for Sloane," Sara answered with a hint of admiration. Kaetus had reacted without thought for his own safety, and that took guts.

Sloane turned from the window to face Theron, not yet sure just how much she blamed the fellow human for this mess. "He insists it's a graze, but he'll be out of action for a while."

"Cora said you'd caught some of the Collective for…interrogation?" Sara asked carefully. She suspected calling it an 'interrogation' was optimistic.

Sloane gave a snort of mirthless laughter. "Yeah, two," she said. "They died before we got the chance to even start on them. Cyanide hidden inside molar implants." She shook her head in disgust. "Cowards.

Theron pulled a face. "That's some loyalty…"

"More like stupidity," Sloane spat.

"You'd have killed them once you were done anyway," Sara said. Anxiety sat in her stomach as a heavy ball of tension. Those Collective recruits could have told her where they had taken Suvi. Now, they had nothing but the guesswork of Kadaran locals to go on.

"I might not have killed them," Sloane replied. "I have morals." Sara's eyebrows climbed towards her hairline. Sloane gave a small smirk. "Sometimes."

"Most times," Theron interjected.

Sloane glanced towards her and paused, eyes looking Theron up and down slowly. "You look pastier than usual," she stated bluntly.

Sara had to agree. Visible symptoms of biotic fatigue she assumed. "Theron, go to the galley and grab an energy bar, or three, and sit down for a bit. And get Lexi to fix you up properly."

Theron briefly considered protesting, thought better of it. She nodded once, shot Sloane a brief look, then turned and left the vidcon. Sara listened to her retreating footsteps, then turned to Sloane.

"She thinks you fired her."

Sloane snorted. "Let her think that," she replied, crossing her arms and tipping her head to regard Sara with a serious look. "Now, why did you call me here?"

"I need your help with tracking Vidal," Sara said.

"Ryder, don't you think I have my own mess to sort out?" Sloane raised an eyebrow. "My port was just attacked. I have dead civilians, my second-in-command is out of action-"

"Sloane, they took Suvi!" Sara protested. How could Sloane be so callous? "Please, I just need you to give us some ideas on where to look. We were around Haarfel when we were gunned down. We can…plot possible flight paths or something, I don't know." Sloane's expression hadn't changed. Sara swallowed hard. "Don't make me beg," she spoke softly.

Sloane gave a none-committal grunt. "You already are," she said, unfolding her arms and turning towards the vidcon, gesturing to it with one hand. "Come on, then."

Before Sara could move, Kallo spoke over the intercom, " _Pathfinder, transmission received. It's from the Charlatan_." His voice was high strung, even for a salarian.

Sara felt her blood run cold. "Patch it through to the vidcon."

The light signalling a message cued began to blink on the console in front of her.

Behind her, heavy footsteps sprinted up the ramp towards them. Sara looked back to find Cora stood at the top of the ramp, looking breathless. Her eyes were troubled as they met Sara's gaze. She had seen whatever it was Vidal had sent them, Sara realised, and it had unnerved her.

"I thought I should be here," Cora said, walking to Sara's side. "You know, being your second." Being your friend. It went unspoken, but Sara understood.

"Thanks," she muttered.

Cora nodded a greeting to Sloane, then stood with her hands clasped behind her back watching the space atop the desk that would soon be filled with a holo.

Sara took in a discrete calming breath, then reached out and tapped the flashing button in front of her. A frozen shot of Reyes Vidal appeared, a head-and-shoulders still of him seated before a stained white wall, lit by portable lights. It appeared bleached slightly of colour, vidcon walls visible faintly through the transparent image. She felt a stab of anger in her gut, a reaction to seeing his stupid face, and hesitated for the briefest of moments before hitting 'play'.

" _Hello, Tempest_!" Reyes began brightly. The smile on his face was genuine. Sara remembered how charming it used to seem, now, though, there was a harshness to it, an almost wild cruelty. His caramel skin was flushed with excitement, dark eyes bright and dangerous. " _I have a message for dear Sara and Sloane that I'm sure they'll want to hear_ ," flash of white teeth as he grinned. Sara's fingers curled into fists at her sides, knuckles aching from the pressure.

The accent no longer warmed her. Sara had grown cold to him a long time ago, when he revealed himself to be a treacherous snake. He had played her like a fiddle, and she had lapped it up, fool that she was.

" _Just a little something to get you both thinking_ ," he tapped a finger to his temple, eyes flicking briefly to something off screen. They could hear a scuffle somewhere behind the camera. " _Now, I know how sometimes the attention can waver and you need a little stimulus to get back on track, so_ …" He reached off screen with a smug smile. Sara's heart lurched painfully as Suvi was dragged forcefully into view. Her hands were bound in front of her by viscously tight cords and a rag had been tied around her lower face to gag her, clearly digging into her skin. Her ocean eyes were wide and frightened, staring into the camera. Reyes pulled her in front of himself, arms tight around her, face almost brushing hers. Blood streaked the left side of her face, stained the front of the hoody she wore. Sara's hoody.

The sight was like a physical punch to Sara's gut. She felt Cora shift beside her, heard Sloane turn her head to glance at her.

" _Say hello to lover girl, Suvi_!" Sara barely heard him over the ringing in her ears.

Suvi whimpered and Reyes looked sideways at her, feigning confusion, and then laughed. " _Oh! She can't, she's gagged, silly me_!" He shoved her roughly aside, out of shot once more. Sara grit her teeth, feeling a white-hot rage rising. " _So, here's the thing_ ," Reyes said, tone suddenly lowering, becoming serious. " _I will give Suvi back to you on one condition_ ," he raised one finger to emphasize his point. " _Sloane and Sara meet me, alone and unarmed, at a time and place yet to be confirmed_ ," he paused for a moment to allow his words to sink in, then flashed a smirk. " _Think on it, and stay safe! Adios_!" The video ended.

Sara let the anger consume her, focussing it and moulding it as her mind became crystal clear. This wasn't the primal rage that clouded her judgment and caused her to lash out and simply react. This was something else, something far deadlier.

Reyes Vidal had made a terrible mistake, and he would pay.


	12. Chapter 9

Cora watched Sara worriedly from the corner of her eye as the transmission ended, but the Pathfinder remained unreadable. Silence followed Reyes' farewell, Sara's bright blue eyes fixed still on the point the holo had been playing. They flicked up suddenly, seeking out one of the speakers in the ceiling above them.

"SAM," She said, her voice icy calm despite the anger and fear simmering away beneath the surface, ice disguising an ocean in turmoil, "trace it."

" _I have already tried, Pathfinder. Unfortunately, Reyes Vidal has shielded his location from me with multiple firewalls_ ," SAM responded immediately. His soft, artificial inflections were often so soothing to her, now though his words had Sara on edge. " _I have detected malicious software that will harm me if I attempt a hack_. _The disruption could take days to untangle, time we do not have._ "

Sara swore under her breath, leaning her palms on the circular vidcon desk and hanging her head between her arms, racking her brain for ideas, answers, anything. Suvi was in danger and Sara wasn't going to wait around for further contact from Reyes and his ridiculously blatant trap. She needed to act _now_.

"Get Theron up here," Sloane said. Sara looked sideways at her, found Sloane's odd eyes locked with her own. It hadn't been a suggestion, not quite a demand either.

" _Pathfinder_?" SAM queried, waiting for her orders before contacting Theron.

"Do it," Sara responded sharply, pushing off from the desk and smoothing her hands over her hair to lace her fingers at the back of her neck. She stared at the console, praying to every god and goddess she had ever heard of that Theron could help.

"Seriously?" Cora asked drily, understanding immediately. "You want her to hack into the network that the AI can't get into?"

"She can at least _try_ ," Sara replied, a hint of desperation creeping into her voice. She cleared her throat, trying to drive away the crushing fear she felt and replacing it with crystalline anger, attempting to project an air of control. She would _not_ fall apart in front of her crew. Again.

" _It is a good idea, Lieutenant Harper_ ," SAM replied to Cora's challenge, his 'voice' as enthusiastic as it could be. " _A human mind perceives things differently to an artificial intelligence. Also, my efforts ceased because of software designed to bring me offline. There is no such software in place to stop a hacker of Ms Wydle's calibre_."

"Except excessively complex firewalls," Cora remarked, folding her arms and shaking her head. It was worth a try, at least, and was definitely better than doing nothing, but she couldn't help but feel they were wasting their time when they could be trying something else. What that something else could be, though, she wasn't sure.

"Gotta admit, I've seen some elaborate defences brought down by the tiniest oversight before," Sloane admitted, stepping back from the table and making her way over to one of the sofas that bordered the vidcon. She dropped down onto the cushions and lounged back, ankle resting against knee, arms thrown against the seat back. "Maybe Vidal remembered to protect himself against SAM and forgot about Theron."

Sara gestured futilely to the sofa Sloane now occupied. "Make yourself at home."

Sloane responded with a scowl.

Theron bounded up the ramp to meet them, expression light, excited even. She looked a lot better despite the fact she had hardly rested. Most likely she was full of coffee and energy bars and too much medigel. "Your AI buzzed me, it's like I work here or something!" She babbled. "Gotta get me a SAM, by the way, and why does everyone look like they just did a line of tequila slammers?" Her step faltered as she stood in front of Sara, looking from face to face. A sinking feeling filled her stomach. Suvi…

"Watch the vid," Sloane told Theron, jerking her chin towards the vidcon console. Sara hit the button to play the message again and walked away, keeping her back to the holo as Reyes' words echoed around her once again.

She reached the railing that enclosed the area and placed her hands on top of the cool metal handrail, looking down over the tech suite below. Usually Peebee or Vetra would be hanging around there, but it was empty now. Consoles glowed a soft orange, cycling through text and images in their dormant states. Beyond it was the corridor that lead to the bridge, where Suvi should have been sat playing around with her files and studies. Sara's chest felt hollow.

" _Say hello to lover girl, Suvi_!" Reyes' voice was filled with a cold mirth. She closed her eyes. Suvi's whimper was a knife blade twisting in Sara's heart. A stab of pain that swiftly became white hot rage.

"Oh…" Theron murmured slowly. She sounded truly horrified, and guilty. But it wasn't her fault. And neither was it Sara's fault.

Sara's fingers tightened on the hand rail as the holo continued, Reyes' smug tone feeding the flames of her fury. She allowed the inferno to build, used it to harden her resolve, channelled it into a relentless determination. She would find Reyes before he was ready, and, once she had made sure Suvi was safe, she would make that man regret the day he ever learned the name Sara Ryder.

Theron was silent as the holo ended. Sara let it sink in for a moment before speaking, "SAM can't trace it because they hid something in the file that'll put him out of action." She turned to face Theron, blue eyes meeting grey. "But maybe you can get through?"

Theron held her gaze, stormy eyes burning with resolve, and nodded her head once. She understood the gravity of the request. "Of course. I'll do whatever it takes," she assured them.

Sara offered a weak smile in response. "SAM, stand by to assist."

" _Yes, Pathfinder_."

* * *

Theron had laced her fingers before herself and cracked her knuckles, then set to work, tapping away at a console at the vidcon while Sara, Cora, and Sloane seated themselves on one of the sofas to watch across the table, despite Theron's warnings it could take a while to 'crack the code'.

Sara hunched over, resting her forearms on her thighs, and stared down at the scuffed floor panel between her boots. How many sleepless nights had she made her way up here, only for Suvi to wake from her absence and come find the Pathfinder to bring her back to bed? How many late night conversations had they had here, Suvi doing her best to soothe Sara? No matter how exhausted the redhead was, she would always refuse to leave without Sara dutifully trailing after her. They had to get to Suvi, before Reyes could hurt her any more than he already had.

"Are you okay?"

Sara turned her head as Cora's soft question broke into her thoughts. Cora had shuffled close on the sofa, sitting thigh to thigh and matching Sara's hunched posture to afford them some privacy from Sloane. Not that Sloane was paying them any mind, she was fiddling with something on her omni-tool.

Sara was used to Cora's face being a rigid mask of professionalism. Her time spent learning the ways of the asari huntresses afforded her a tight control over her emotions seen rarely in humans, but now her expression was filled with concern, hazel eyes searching Sara's for the answer she already knew. Sara opened her mouth to reply, to lie and say yes despite knowing no one needed her to answer, the question was a mere formality. She closed her mouth again and dropped her gaze, shaking her head almost imperceptibly.

"No," she whispered.

Cora placed a hand on her back, rubbing comfortingly between her shoulders, knowing she could do little to help Sara. "We'll get her back," she promised the Pathfinder. Sara could believe the reassurance, Cora sounded so certain of it. It was just a matter of time.

"Aha…" Theron muttered to herself. Three pairs of eyes locked onto her. She was leaning over the console, eyes following lines of symbols as she chewed her lower lip thoughtfully, oblivious to the trio of women watching her.

"Aha?" Sloane pressed irritably when Theron said nothing more.

Theron glanced up at her in surprise. "Oh," she realised she had vocalised her thoughts and returned her gaze to the console, fingers working furiously over the keys. "I've almost got it. They have some pretty fierce defences up, and bounced the vid through several locations around Kadara, and they tried to mask the original send location but…There! Got it." Theron smirked and stood up straight with her arms folded over her chest, surveying her work on the screen in front of herself.

Cora narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "That was quick…" Theron had claimed it could take hours. It had barely taken her a single hour.

"Yep," Theron grinned at her, looking more than a little smug. Sara was on her feet but didn't know where to go from there. Run around the table and hug Theron? Stand stoically where she was? Her heart was racing, throbbing behind her ribs in excitement.

"Is it- you got a location?" She asked, hardly daring to believe. Her hands twitched at her sides. Run to the bridge and get Kallo to fly them there? Gather the crew?

"Yeah," Theron typed a command into the console with a flourish and a map of Kadara appeared where Reyes' holo had been previously. She circled the table and stretched up, pushing one finger through the translucent image. Glowing blue lines rippled over her fair skin, mountains and valleys appearing up her arm. "Here." A blank area, Northwest of the port.

Sloane climbed to her feet and took a step forward, looking up at the map. "I know that place," she said, dropping her gaze to meet Sara's. "It was a copper mine, got shut down after a tunnel collapse killed a bunch of miners. The main ore veins were depleted, and no new ones had been discovered so it stayed shut down," she shrugged her shoulders. "It'd be a good place to hide. No power though, and all the useful stuff was scavenged years ago."

"How do you know that?" Sara asked her. It sounded like the mine had been out of action a while, maybe even long before Sloane and her exiles turned up and took over the port.

Sloane looked at her with one eyebrow raised. "Because sometimes I listen to my advisors, Ryder."

"Ex advisors," Theron corrected. "Keema Dohrgun," she added for Sara's benefit.

"Right," Sara muttered, looking up at the map again, at the place Theron had marked with her finger moments before. "We know where he is, let's go." She said.

"You know we need to scout the area first," Theron said quietly, placating, as though she expected Sara to blow up at the suggestion.

Ice enclosed Sara's heart. Reyes could be doing anything to Suvi. But Theron was right. They couldn't charge in guns blazing, much as she wanted to, when they had no idea what the location offered in terms of entrances and exits, how many men Reyes had, where Suvi was. The list was endless. She met Theron's eyes. "Me and you. Tempest on standby. As soon as we know what we're up against we're going in," She decided.

"Yes," was all Theron said.

"Glad you've got that sorted," Sloane remarked drily. "I'll be staying here. I'm not risking you lot running off without me to kick Vidal's scrawny arse."

"Understood," Sara said. "Cora, have everyone ready to move out at a moment's notice. Theron, gear up and get back here as soon as you can." She had a plan, or rather the start of a plan. It gave her something to focus on, something other than the crippling fear of Suvi being locked away somewhere behind enemy lines. It gave her some semblance of control.

Theron snapped off a smart salute. "Right away, Pathfinder!" She said with a grin and hurried away. Sara quirked an eyebrow in response. Theron seemed to be enjoying being an almost-member of the Pathfinder team.

Cora tracked Theron's departure, hands clasped behind her back. She looked back to Sara, back rigid, heels touching. "Keep us informed, and good luck out there," she spoke with her professional voice, the guarded tone that left her a blank slate, then turned smartly and left the vidcon.

"Sure," Sara murmured to herself, making no move to follow Cora. She tallied in her head the equipment she would need. Black tinted armour rather than her usual white-and-blue, allowing her to blend with the shadows and move unseen. She would need to swap out the scope on her auto rifle for a thermal one judging by the swiftly gathering darkness, and a set of night vision binoculars. Easy enough.

Sloane grunted in amusement as she dropped back onto the sofa and woke her omni-tool with one finger. "You've got them all trained well, Ryder," she said with some approval.

Sara glanced up at her, having forgotten Sloane was still there. "I guess I do," she agreed. "Behave while I'm gone."

Sloane's eyes snapped up to meet Sara's in annoyance, but she said nothing as the Pathfinder flashed a small smile and left the vidcon, heading down to the hold to retrieve her equipment from her locker.

* * *

Sara sat in the Nomad, parked just outside the entrance to the Kadara slums in the Badlands. She could see where the Collective had forced their way through the fence, lines of silver wire bent back, bobbing in the gathering wind like spindly silver fingers. Night had come early as the storm clouds choked the weak light of the dying sun. Fat raindrops began to splash against the windshield, trickling downwards over the water repellent glass. She could hear thunder rumbling in the distance and had seen a flash or two of lightning behind the mountains as she stared out through the window. The steady ticking of rain against the thick armour plating above her head increased until it became the near-deafening roar of a torrential downpour. Kadara disappeared behind a curtain of grey.

Movement caught her attention. Theron, hurrying out of the slums towards her. Sara shoved the passenger door open as the other woman approached, a sleek black shadow in her light armour. Unmarked, like the Collective. That could come in handy.

Sara's own armour had an Andromeda Initiative logo on the right shoulder, clearly visible if anyone got close to her. Hopefully that wouldn't happen. This was to be a quick scouting mission. Gather the needed intel to create a plan of assault and get back to the Tempest.

"This weather is good," Theron commented after climbing into the vehicle and pulling the door closed. She tipped back her head to unfasten her helmet and tugged it off, turning to grin at Sara. Water dripped from her armour, soaked into the fabric of the seat. "Good cover."

"Yeah," Sara agreed, firing up the engine and tapping a button on the dash to bring up the map, their destination marked with a white navpoint. Twin cones of bright white light flooded the area ahead of them.

"Don't put the headlights on, we'll be seen a mile out if anyone's looking, which they probably will be," Theron warned.

"I can't drive without the lights, it's pitch black out there," Sara gestured pointlessly at the world outside. Rain lashed the ground, boiling through grass and churning the dirt roads into slick rivers of mud.

Theron frowned at her, head moving back in surprise. "Doesn't your helmet have a night vision IR overlay?"

Sara looked sideways at her. "No…?" She said slowly.

"I thought you Nexus lot had everything. Mine does," She tapped her fingers against the top of her helmet, resting in her lap. Sara simply glowered at her. Theron cleared her throat and fidgeted, trying to quell the rising excitement. "Does that mean I have to drive?"

In answer, Sara shoved her door open and climbed out of the Nomad. Theron punched the air and gave a silent whoop of glee as the Pathfinder stalked around the vehicle and wrenched open Theron's door. Theron hastily stuffed her helmet back on to hide her grin and scrambled over to the driver's seat, clambering over the controls that divided the twin seats up front.

Sara pulled the door shut and buckled up. Despite the short walk, her hair was plastered wet to her head. She would have to talk to Tann about armour upgrades, though Theron had probably upgraded her helmet herself. The world went dark as Theron switched off the headlights, then accessed her omni-tool, presumably to activate the night vision for her helmet.

They drove in silence. Sara was too anxious to talk. A fist of tension had settled in her chest, causing her heart to flutter uncomfortably. All she could think about was Suvi; what she must be thinking, what she must be feeling. It was driving her insane, not knowing. She could be certain of one thing though. Suvi was safe until Reyes had his hands on Sara.

"We'll stop here," Theron broke the silence, voice muffled by her helmet as she eased on the Nomad's brakes and cut the engine. Sara glanced at her, eyes flicking to the map to check their location. They had been driving some time and had almost reached the navpoint. Rain hammered the Nomad, drumming over the roof and streaming over the metal panels to splash noisily around the wheels outside. It was almost deafening. Thunder growled directly overhead, booming around the mountains as though the sky were collapsing, as lightning flashed amongst the clouds, turning night briefly to day.

"If anyone's looking, we'll stand out a mile off," Sara said, smoothing back her bangs before pulling on her helmet.

"Only when the lightning flashes," Theron replied, as another flare lit up their surroundings in surreal white. Sara saw, in that split second of brilliance, that they had parked at the foot of a steep slope. Long grass thrashed in the wind, stumpy trees flailed their branches atop the ridge, bark gleaming and black in the rain.

"Right," she muttered. The lightning was flaring much too regularly for her liking, but that couldn't be helped. "Let's move out."

As one, they opened their doors and clambered out into the storm. Sara could barely see a thing in the darkness and driving rain. She bowed her head against the wind, feeling it push against her, trying to shove her back, and took a step forwards blindly. Rain washed over her as though tipped from a bucket.

Theron grabbed her hand and placed it on her shoulder, moving ahead.

"Follow me," she said, shouting to be heard above raging nature. They had opted out of using their in-helmet radios in case the Collective was scanning for radio chatter, and had turned off the lights on their amour to avoid further detection. Theron's shoulder was comfortingly solid beneath her fingers as Sara followed her, near blind, up the slope. She slipped a few times in slick mud that splashed up her armour and was immediately washed clear by rain.

"We should have brought a boat!" Sara exclaimed as her right foot slid from under her and brought her to one knee. Theron laughed as she hauled Sara back to her feet.

"I'm not sure how discrete that would be," she commented, moving into a crouch as they neared the peak of the slope. "Okay, building's down there somewhere," she said, using the trees and bushes on the crest as cover to disguise her approach. She dropped to her stomach and brought her auto rifle over one shoulder, tipping her head to look through the scope. They were on top of a steep hill that flowed down into a relatively flat valley. Mountains rose either side of them, slick black rock dotted with trees and bushes.

Sara lay down beside her, bringing out the binoculars she had brought with her. She thumbed the switch on one side as she raised them to her visor and peered through. The world was revealed in luminous green.

"You see it?" Theron asked.

"Um…" Sara panned slowly. All she saw was rock and grass and-there! She paused, looked back and zoomed in. Amongst the trees she had seen the hard edge of a man-made structure. "Got it. It's pretty overgrown." She could just make out some kind of entrance. The mining buildings had mainly been constructed inside the mountain itself. She could see the signs of a couple of outbuildings, empty husks half stripped away and reclaimed by nature.

"Well hidden," Theron corrected, still looking through her scope. "There's a flat bit about… forty feet up from there. Could be a landing platform. There's definitely a door up there."

"Probably a few ways in and out," Sara said, following the rock face up to find the platform Theron mentioned.

Theron grunted. "That area looks cleared of trees and stuff. Could still be in use. Let's go get a closer look."

"Wait," Sara hissed as Theron made to climb to her feet. "Someone's coming out the other door." Theron held her scope to her visor again.

Sara worked the controls of her binoculars, zooming in on the door that had been hidden by overgrowth. Through the tangle of shrubs and trees and overhanging bushes she could just make out the forms of a turian and human stepping outside

"Smoking break," she said after a moment. "We'll wait for them to go back inside, then head down."

Theron grunted, still watching through her scope. Sara let the silence stretch between them, listening instead to the pounding rain that splashed around them, and the rumbling thunder that was slowly moving away from them. Then, finally, she asked, "why did you come to andromeda?" She had wondered it since realizing Theron hadn't been left behind in the Milky Way. It was the question on everyone's lips on meeting someone new.

"Oh, I know this movie," Theron chuckled. Sara looked sideways at her in confusion. Theron kept her gaze on the two Collective goons across the valley. "This is the scene where the two detectives get bored in their surveillance mission and start revealing deep, dark secrets."

"I was just curious," Sara replied, lifting her binoculars again, feeling a twinge of annoyance at Theron brushing her off.

Theron was quiet a moment, then, "I was offered a second chance, how could I not take it?" she answered wryly, lowering her gun and aiming her helmet at Sara. "Expanding horizons and all that. I couldn't go through the Charon relay, obviously, but I'd have loved to. I could do this, though. It was an amazing opportunity. Exploring, finding new worlds under new skies. How reality pales in comparison to dreams." She sighed heavily, rubbing a splash of mud from the side of her gun. Andromeda had most definitely _not_ lived up to the hype. The golden worlds were withered and dead and everyone was fighting for survival. Things were looking up, though, now that Meridian was online. "I wonder sometimes if the excitement I felt is how the old Earth explorers felt. You know, Scott and Shackleton. Gagarin and Armstrong. They pushed the boundaries with their ancient navigation tools. What would they think of us? They took the first steps into the unknown, carved the way for us. Would we make them proud?" Her tone turned suddenly bitter, "we travelled all this way, just to fight the same damn fights in a different galaxy." No, the ancient humans wouldn't be proud. They would be disappointed that such an amazing opportunity was being squandered on petty prejudice.

"We had a rough start, it'll get better," Sara said, looking sideways at her.

Theron's helmet turned to face again her, eyes hidden behind the tinted visor. "You sure? Because right now we're fighting through the fall out of a bog-standard turf war."

Sara turned to face front again, studying the barely-visible building opposite. "I'm sure."

"You don't even believe yourself," Theron muttered.

"You can't expect the problems to be fixed just because we went on some epic road trip across the universe. We brought the same people with us, the same prejudices and ambitions. That's just something we have to deal with," Sara said.

"I guess," Theron grumbled. "Those two Collective guys have gone back inside. Wanna move down?"

"Yep," Sara said, climbing to her feet but keeping low.

"You look like a mud monster," Theron sniggered.

Sara's eye roll went unnoticed, hidden by her helmet. "Shut up and get moving. And be careful, we don't know what their security is like."

"So glad you're here to state the obvious for me," Theron said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I will slap you."

"Understood, Pathfinder."

They picked their way slowly down the hillside, moving from cover to cover as much as they could. The footing was treacherous, rain-slick grass and near-liquid mud, small rocks and loose stones hidden in puddles and rivulets of water. They moved towards the rocky foot of the mountain where fallen boulders provided extra cover as grassy flats became stony hills that grew into sheer cliffs and ridges.

"I can see a pathway," Theron whispered as they stood behind a large rock surveying the distance they still had to make. The overgrown doorway they had first seen was some way above them now, hidden by a near-vertical cliff.

"Why are you whispering?" Sara asked.

Theron paused. "I don't know..." She admitted, louder. She crouched with her back to the rock, drawing her weapon to scope out the pathway she had seen, weaving between two large rock formations. Lightning forked behind them, heading for the port now. "That must be the way up. Come on." She holstered her weapon and pushed up to her feet, hurrying through knee high grass onto a thin dirt track carved, most likely, by the passage of hundreds of feet heading to the mines. It was a line of sludge currently. Sara's boots squelched as she made her way onto it, following it up through the rocky canyon. It became more solid with each step, mud giving way to stone. Theron lead the way, pointing out trip hazards and low hanging branches from spindly trees crouched on rock ledges as the pathway zigzagged slowly upwards.

One side of the small canyon began to slope lower until they walked a narrow pathway cut into the side of the mountain.

"They should have installed a handrail or something," Sara groused, trying not to look down at the sheer drop to the ground below.

"You can bring it up with health and safety," Theron quipped. Sara said nothing. "I almost _heard_ the eye roll there." Theron glanced back at her.

"Yeah, yeah," Sara muttered, halting as Theron stopped moving and Sara almost walked into the back of her. She could see Theron's helmet slowly looking left to right as she gazed over their surroundings. Orange light reflected from wet rock as she woke her omni-tool, holding it out before herself and scanning the area.

Sara saw they were at the very edge of a wide rock shelf choked with grass and trees, scattered with rocks and boulders that had fallen from the mountain over time. Dim yellow light seeped around the centre split of the door she had spied from their hilltop.

Theron shut off her omni-tool and crept forward. "No cameras," she said softly, moving towards the door to inspect it. The control panel was built into the wall, tucked out of sight when viewed from the front. "Security sucks, I bet even you could hack this."

"I'm flattered," Sara remarked sarcastically as Theron followed the wall around the entrance towards the mountain face.

"There's a cave. Man-made, I think," she said.

Sara saw it as a slightly darker area of shadow on the already dark rock face. "Well, it's meant to be a mine..."

"Not this bit. The mine is deeper inside the mountain, down underground. This bit is like... The residential area for the workers. Admin, supplies, living quarters."

Sara shadowed her through the narrow cave mouth, out of the rain. It was barely wide enough for the two of them. "Cosy," she commented.

Theron tapped her omni-tool, filling the cave with orange light. A string of lights hung from the ceiling, disappearing down a carved-out corridor and out of sight around a bend that Sara could barely make out in the light of Theron's gauntlet.

"There's a control panel down here I can use as an access point into their systems. Won't take long," she said, making her way over to a gunmetal grey box on the wall. Cables ran in metal brackets down the wall beneath it and disappeared into the floor. More sprouted from the top of the box and joined the wires linking the lights above them.

Theron opened the front panel of the box and surveyed the softly glowing contents.

"I know a faster way," Sara said, following her. "SAM, scan it."

"NO!"

Sara was taken aback, and even SAM hesitated in complying with the Pathfinder's request.

"I've been scanning with the most basic and low-tech equipment because most systems don't bother worrying about such primitive hacks. If you can't afford a decent scan you probably don't have the tech to break in anyway," Theron spoke quickly, and then paused, clearly had more to add.

"And?" Sara asked impatiently.

"I've detected a kind of... Alarm that will be tripped if SAM scans or interacts with any of their tech. They'll know we're here." Orange light reflected off her visor as she eyed Sara.

"What?" Sara asked, sensing still more, that the comment was pointed but had gone over her head.

"Don't you think it's odd?" Theron asked, a hint of trepidation in her voice. "If Vidal has security measures against SAM he _expects_ you to be here."

"He must have known I'd find him sooner or later. He stole my girlfriend, I'm not going to play nice." Her voice was edged with cold steel. "I-she-" her fingers curled into fists as her words caught in her throat, "I'm going to do whatever it takes to get her back. No matter what."

Theron chuckled, typing on her omni-tool. "Yeah, yeah, I know. You'd die for her, swim oceans for her, catch a grenade for her. You don't need to declare your undying love, okay? You look at each other like there's no other person in the universe. It's sickening."

Sara would have been insulted were it not for the teasing lilt in her voice. "That's not what I-" she felt her cheeks flame and was grateful for the helmet hiding her blush. "Can you maybe get on with snooping around this system?" She flicked a finger at Theron's omni-tool.

Theron's helmet raised to face her. "I'm already in."

"Oh..."

"Downloading schematics..." Her fingers worked over her omni-tool, jabbing and swiping through information. "Looks like they've only got power to specific areas. Probably using portable generators. SAM, can you scan for life forms without interacting with any tech? I don't think they're protecting against that."

" _Yes_ ," SAM answered.

"We need numbers, go ahead SAM," Sara said.

A beat, then, " _Scans indicate thirty-three life forms present, not including you_."

"That's...A lot..." Sara said, feeling her stomach sink. She hadn't expected Reyes to have gathered or kept such numbers after his disgraced exit from Kadara.

"That's a challenge," Theron replied, unperturbed, still working her omni-tool. "We sneak in, we grab Suvi, we leave. Easy."

"When has anything ever gone to plan?" Sara asked pointedly.

"Oh, come on, how hard can it-oh." Theron froze.

Sara looked at her apprehensively. "Oh...?"

"So... They have _one_ security camera, which I thought was weird, so I hacked the feed." She looked up at Sara, hesitating again.

"Show it to me," Sara's voice was ice, already guessing what the feed would show.

"You won't like it," Theron warned, standing beside Sara and showing her the video she had hacked.

Sara's heart broke as she saw grainy footage of Suvi from somewhere high up, in the green tints of night vision, huddled in the corner of some tiny room. She was hugging her knees to her chest, head leaning against the wall in defeat. Blood streaked one side of her face.

Sara felt as though all the air had left Kadara. "Where is she? Do you know where that is? We have to go!" She cried desperately.

Theron had anticipated such a reaction, but it still shocked her, seeing the Pathfinder begin to unravel. "We can't, it's too risky, we need back up!"

"You said yourself it'll be easy!" Sara challenged, clenching her fists and taking a threatening step towards Theron. Her fear was giving way to anger, though at the back of her mind she knew to charge in now would be lunacy.

"Not without back up. What if something goes wrong?!" Theron attempted to reason with her. "We need Tempest or... Maybe Sloane can lend us some guys?"

"Sloane?" Sara scoffed. "Her people, _your_ people, are tied up with the port. Sloane wouldn't send them after Suvi."

"No," Theron agreed, "but she'd send them after Vidal."

Sara took a deep breath, shaking her head as she began to regain control of herself. Amazing that all it took to push her over the edge was the gentle Doctor Suvi Anwar. "The safest thing for Suvi is for us to sneak in. Have a small force on standby in case we need help."

Theron tapped her omni-tool. "I don't think they're monitoring comm traffic. We can get back to the Nomad, call Tempest. Get them to meet us halfway back so they're not seen, and make a plan of attack?"

"Let's go," Sara said, honing her fear for Suvi and fury for Reyes into a razor-sharp edge. She would allow it to sharpen her mind, to find a way through a horde of Collective to retrieve Suvi and bring her out to safety without the enemy realizing until it was too late.

Sara turned on her heel and swept through the darkness back out into the raging storm.


	13. Chapter 10

The Tempest had flown in as low as Kallo dared, the storm covering the noise of the engines as the sleek ship dangerously skirted near the base of great valleys. Theron and Sara watched from the safety of the Nomad as grass rippled in the downdraft beneath the ship. Landing lights flooded the ground with bright white light, a precaution that couldn't be helped. Hopefully the rock basin they sheltered within, and the torrential downpour that fell ever downwards in a curtain of grey, would veil the light against prying eyes. The hold doors opened, ramp unfolding to admit them. Theron rolled the Nomad forward, up the ramp and inside the ship, out of shadowy gloom into bright artificial light.

" _As requested, the crew and Sloane are gathering at the vidcon_ ," SAM spoke through the Nomad speakers for Theron's benefit.

"Thanks, SAM," Sara replied quietly.

Theron cut the engines as she heard the wheel locks engage, and let her hands drop from the controls to her lap, turning her head to look at Sara.

The Pathfinder stared vaguely through the rain-spotted windshield, looking out at the cargo hold but seeing nothing. Her thumbs worked over the helmet she held in her lap, feeling out the ridges of armour and scuffs from fights.

"Hey," Theron said loudly, pulling off her own helmet now that they were inside. Sara blinked as Theron's voice brought her out of her thoughts and glanced at her. "You got a plan?"

"Yeah," Sara sighed, dropping her gaze to her helmet. "I just hope it works. Or the others agree, or-"

"It will work," Theron interrupted palming the door control. "And they will agree," She grinned at Sara as she swung herself out of the vehicle and jumped out into the hold, "because you're a great leader, and they want to rescue one of their own." She turned and began heading for the vidcon without waiting to see if Sara was following.

"Suvi is being kept here," Sara touched her finger to the holographic map hanging above the vidcon table in lines of blue light. A warren of tunnels and rooms honeycombed the mountain, linked by a deep shaft that burrowed down far beneath the surface of Kadara. Mine shafts spread outwards like the roots of some giant plant. The crew stood clustered around the desk listening to their Pathfinder. Sloane watched with the usual irked expression on her face, though she listened intently. "While Theron and I were scouting around outside scans showed the Collective seemed to cluster in the rooms around that area. The basic idea is for me and Theron to sneak in while the rest of you create a distraction to draw them away, so we can get Suvi out with minimal resistance."

"How will you get in?" Cora asked. She stood opposite Sara, staring through the holo at her.

Theron zoomed the map in by pinching it with thumb and forefinger then splaying them outwards and pointed to an area; the tunnel she and Sara had found. "Here," she glanced around at the gathered crew, leaning one palm on the desk in front of herself. "It's a small entrance, like a back door. Bog-standard lock, I can easily get us in. It'll lead us straight down to the level Suvi is on, albeit at the far end. We have to pass through what used to be the mess to get to her, and that seems to be where most of the Collective were gathered. We're hoping they'll just mistake us for two more Collective if they're still in there."

"And if they don't?" Cora asked, hazel eyes flicking between Sara and Theron. The answer was obvious, but she voiced the question anyway. If the Collective didn't buy the disguise, then Sara and Theron would be gunned down where they stood.

"Then we'll need our distraction sooner than intended," Sara said. Cora looked dissatisfied with the answer but said nothing. It was risky but should work without issues. The Collective wouldn't be expecting such a bold infiltration and that would work in Sara's favour.

"What's the distraction?" Sloane asked, mis-matched eyes on Sara.

"A bomb," Sara replied simply.

"That'll do it," Peebee quipped with an excited grin.

"You know if that doesn't work and they just turn around and kill you, Suvi's gonna be mad pissed, right?" Liam asked, masking his concern with humour. But Sara could see it in the way his eyes creased when he looked at her.

"That's not going to happen," she told him firmly. "SAM can give us numbers and if there are too many guys in there we'll try a flyby from Tempest first, maybe they'll move to battle stations. Maybe in the chaos we can slip inside. It's fine. I'll adapt," she was growing increasingly frustrated as everyone seemed to have gotten stuck on the first detail. Noting this, Theron zoomed the map out again and indicated the platform they had designated as the main entrance.

"This is a few levels above that area, so the hope is that blasting the doors open and staging an attack will draw the Collective to you, away from our level so we can get Suvi out through the way me and Sara came in," she explained.

"It's risky," Sloane said, eyeing up the map, then turning her eerie gaze to Sara, a slow smirk tugging at her lips. "I like it. What about Vidal?"

Sara looked blank. "What about Vidal?" She echoed.

Sloane's expression darkened ever so slightly. "Aren't we going after him as well?"

"We're rescuing Suvi..." Sara spoke slowly. Reyes would be a secondary objective and that was only if he appeared in front of them. Otherwise, once they had Suvi they were leaving. She wouldn't risk her lover any longer than necessary.

Sloane was quiet for a long time. She then turned her gaze back to the map. "Right," was all she said, casual agreement edged in cold scorn.

"I know I'm asking a lot..." Sara started.

"Hey, we happily charged onto the Archon's flagship, no questions asked. This is nothing," Liam dismissed it with a wave of his hand.

"I can't wait to stomp on some puny Collective pyjaks," Drack grinned at Sara, cracking his knuckles loudly. Vetra winced beside him at the sound.

Theron eyed the Initiative logo on Sara's shoulder. "That's going to be a problem, though," she indicated the white-and-blue AI patch with a nod of her head. It stood out in bright contrast against the black of her armour. "Must you guys slap your mark on everything?"

Sara glanced down at it and frowned. It _would_ be a problem, it was easily identifiable.

"Rub some boot polish over it once you get inside," Cora suggested. Sara looked up at her and nodded. It was a good enough idea.

"Gear up, guys," Sara told them. "Liam and Jaal, be ready to move out with me and Theron in ten. Everyone else…" She paused, not sure what to say.

"Give 'em Hell," Theron supplied with a grin.

* * *

The Nomad lurched as it hit a rock hidden beneath the surface of a particularly deep puddle. Theron gave a soft noise of surprise and spun the wheel, guiding them onto flatter ground. Sara braced one arm against the front passenger door as the Nomad bumped along, throwing up twin sheets of muddy water either side of the vehicle. Rain still hammered down, a constant rush against the hull, but the thunder had ceased.

"Please drive carefully," Liam said nervously, glancing down at the rough canvas bag in his lap. "We're carrying explosives back here."

"I mean, with all the mud and rain it's kind of hard to figure out where the road is…" Theron told him deadpan.

"Isn't that the whole point of having your fancy overlay in your helmet?" Liam retorted, anxiously checking over the charges he and Jaal had put together on the Tempest.

"It won't detonate unless we tell it to," Jaal told him reassuringly. "It's perfectly stable, very safe."

"Unless you're a door!" Theron said, looking over her shoulder at them and presumably grinning. Her helmet hid her expression.

"Could you maybe look where you're driving?" Liam asked, glancing between her and the windshield.

Theron faced front again, chuckling to herself. "So nervous! So endearing." She smirked.

"Theron, please don't flirt with my crew," Sara said wearily.

"Yes, mistress."

Sara's sigh could be heard back in the port.

* * *

The path up to the first entrance was easier going the second time. Theron lead the way again, with Sara, Jaal and Liam following her single file in tense silence. Anticipation settled amongst them thick and heavy. They likely had only one chance for this to work. Any mistakes…well, it didn't bare thinking about.

They paused amongst the bushes at the edge of the Rock platform they would part ways at. Rain slapped heavily against the thin boughs of trees above, canopies offering little protection against the downpour.

"You know when to call in Tempest?" Sara asked Liam and Jaal quietly, voice muffled by her helmet.

"Yep," Liam answered, eyeing up the door.

"This door is in use so be careful," Sara added, gesturing to it needlessly with one hand. She knew she was stalling, but her stomach was suddenly a bundle of nerves. So many things could go wrong. She and Theron had the easy job, the rest of her crew and Sloane would be calling the attention of around thirty fighters to themselves.

"I will watch for Collective while Liam puts the charges in place," Jaal assured her, already reaching over his shoulder for his rifle.

Sara nodded and clapped a hand against Liam's shoulder as she moved by him, heading for the narrow opening of the tunnel carved into the mountain. They were here now, the plan had to be put into motion. "C'mon, Theron. Let's do this."

Theron darted after her, flicking on the torch on her omni-tool. A cone of white light filled the darkness, streaming from her palm.

"Hide your patch," she motioned to the AI logo on Sara's shoulder with a nod of her head.

"On it," Sara told her, drying the area with the palm of her glove as they walked. She pulled a tin out of the pouch on her belt and popped the lid off, scooped black polish onto two fingers, then smeared it against her shoulder as Theron directed the beam of her torch at the Pathfinder. "Thanks," she muttered, stuffing the tin back into her pouch and wiping off her fingers against the armour on one thigh. Theron grunted in acknowledgment and swept her light against the floor and walls. Dusty red-brown rock surrounded them, roughly carved by some sort of machinery long ago.

"Doorway should be around that corner," she said, indicating a bend in the tunnel with her torch. Shadows danced across the walls from the motion.

Sara nodded, mentally running through the pathway she had chosen for Theron and herself. As they turned the corner she saw the door, small and metallic with a control panel built into the wall beside it glowing red in the gloom. Theron hurried forwards, shutting off the torch light, leaving only the soft orange of her gauntlet to keep the darkness at bay.

Sara let out a low breath. Somewhere on the other side of that door Suvi was being held hostage.

"SAM?" She prompted as Theron set to work on the lock.

" _Scans indicate the Collective forces have scattered around the parts of the facility with power. Six remain in the mess_." The AI spoke through the open comm network between Theron and Sara's omni-tool, so Theron could hear.

"Okay," Sara let out a nervous breath. She had been hoping to bypass _all_ Collective, but six was manageable if things went South.

"Walk like you belong," Theron told her calmly without looking up from her omni-tool. "You lead, I'll follow. SAM can feed you directions, so we'll look like we know what we're doing."

The lock buzzed, and the door slid open, revealing a corridor of stained white metal panels and harsh white light. "After you," she gave Sara a flourishing bow.

"Here we go," Sara muttered, and stepped over the threshold into the Collective base.

The door slid shut behind them with a whisper of metal on metal. After the gloom of the tunnel the sudden brightness caused Sara's eyes to sting and water. She could see a portable generator at the far end of the corridor, thick black cables weaving through a doorway that was jammed open. It filled the corridor with a low humming as it directed power to the lights and appliances in what appeared to be the kitchen through the doorway. Beyond the kitchen, Sara knew, was the mess where six hostiles sat.

"They so much as twitch," Theron said, as though reading Sara's mind, "I'll throw up a barrier and you start shooting."

"Deal," Sara said, as they strode up the corridor with purpose and entered the kitchen. It was a spacious room with industrial ovens and microwaves along one wall, deep sinks and large drying racks along the other, and a long metallic island in the middle that was scoured and stained by both years of use and neglect. Dirty dishes were stacked around one grimy sink. Packets of freeze-dried food, protein cubes, and nutrient paste littered the central work surface.

Laughter came from the open doorway across the kitchen. Theron and Sara exchanged a look, then made their way out into the mess. Three long tables lined the room, empty save for the group of six that sat on the end of the far table playing a game of cards. A human woman was scraping her winnings out of the middle towards her side of the table as a turian stood and began to deal new hands. A second human glanced up at Theron and Sara as they skirted the outside of the room and Sara felt a bolt of panic, but he immediately lost interest and looked back down at the cards he was receiving, shuffling them into a neat pile.

They made it to the doorway without incident and Sara let out the breath she had been holding. Maybe this would all go to plan after all.

"Hey," the gruff voice stopped Sara in her tracks and she glanced back to see the turian still on his feet, watching her. Theron kept going as though she hadn't heard or didn't care. "Why are you wet?" The other card players looked over curiously, eyeing the muddy footprints the pair had tracked through from outside, and the raindrops glistening on their armour.

Theron turned to face him, throwing up her arms and dropping them to her sides again in exasperation. "It's raining?" She said as though she had just been asked which way was up. "We went out to do a quick patrol, make sure the Pathfinder doesn't try anything."

"Huh, good idea," the winner of the previous round said, fanning her cards and checking them over. "I think Reyes is sending her his terms soon."

Theron shrugged and left the room, shaking her head. Sara hurried after her, heart pounding. The card game resumed behind them.

"That was stressful," Sara muttered.

"Could have gone worse," Theron replied, gripping her shoulder and squeezing comfortingly. "Should be easier the further in we get."

"Right," Sara sighed. "God, I hope Vidal doesn't try and get hold of us while we're here…"

Theron sniggered. "Might blow our cover. 'Hi, Sara can't answer right now, she's busy infiltrating your stronghold'."

"Shuttup," Sara hissed. "Or _you'll_ blow our cover!"

Theron held her hands up in mock surrender. They continued along the corridor in silence, heading ever deeper into enemy territory. Rooms and more corridors branched off from the one they followed, some dark and evidently not in use, thick with dust and cobwebs, some with portable generators stood outside, bundles of wires kicked to the very edges of the walkways and weaving out of sight behind doorways.

They passed no one else as they walked, but Sara's senses were on high alert. Theron was right, though. The deeper they went, the more they looked like they belonged.

Theron tapped her knuckles against Sara's upper arm and pointed down the corridor. It ended in a T-junction lit by compact standing lamps and choked by crates of supplies. Just before the T was a single door with a small control panel on the wall beside it.

"That's it," she murmured.

As they neared, Sara noticed a grimy sign above the panel, angaran glyphs stamped into the metal plate. SAM's language algorithm translated the words and displayed them on Sara's visor in English.

"This is a storage closet," Sara's voice was a low growl of indignation. She tapped a finger against the sign and turned furiously to face Theron. "My girlfriend is locked in a storage closet."

"Not for long," Theron told her brightly, calling up her omni-tool. "Right," she said, tapping away on her gauntlet. "Security cam first. Let's record that for a few seconds and…play on a loop."

Sara shifted impatiently from foot to foot as Theron worked, glancing down the corridor, back the way they had come. While their unmarked armour left them unrecognizable she still worried. A few questions would easily reveal them to Reyes' men. If anyone came down the corridor now they would be caught red-handed. What excuse for tampering with the prisoner's door could they offer that would sound plausible?

Theron moved around Sara, turning her attention to the control panel as the display woke up. A few commands from her omni-tool had the control panel rapidly cycling through different numerical sequences, digits freezing in place one after the other until the display flashed green and the locks released with a metallic clank.

"I'm guessing you guys will need a moment," Theron said, stepping to one side as the door panel slid upwards. "I'll stand guard out here." She turned her back to the door, took up a rigid stance as though she were truly guarding the doorway, stopping Suvi from escaping.

Sara nodded once and hurried into the room, feeling her heart pounding with anticipation. While only a few short hours had passed since Suvi's abduction, it felt like a lifetime. Years of worry and fear. And there she was, stood at the back wall of a room that was barely more than a couple of metres squared. A single strip light hung from the ceiling, dead, the only fixture in the room apart from the new camera bolted to the wall above the door, a tiny red light glaring into the darkness showing that it was recording (or rather, it was supposed to be recording. Now it merely looped footage of Suvi huddled against a wall).

Suvi had leaped to her feet, most likely on hearing voices in the corridor outside of her prison. Her fists were balled at her sides and she squinted into the light that spilled through the doorway behind Sara.

"What do you want now?" She demanded, her voice fierce. Her eyes flicked passed Sara to the open doorway, calculating. Sara felt a swell of pride.

"Hey, Trouble," she said, reaching up and lifting off her helmet. Suvi's jaw dropped as she recognized her lover. Sweat-damp raven hair stuck in places to flushed skin, hanging messily in clear blue eyes, but Suvi had never seen a more perfect sight. She paused for only the briefest of shocked moments before barrelling forwards. She threw herself into Sara's arms, crushing herself as close as she could, fingers curling into her ponytail, and buried her face in Sara's neck. She breathed deep, inhaling the familiar scent and feeling relief flood through her in an intoxicating warmth.

Then cold fear. "Sara, you shouldn't be here!" She stepped back to look up at her, eyes wide with alarm, hands dropping to Sara's shoulders.

Sara paused in confusion. That wasn't quite the reaction she had anticipated. "I came to rescue you," she said, as though Suvi needed to be informed of that.

"And me!" Theron poked her head around the doorway, looking into the room. "I'm rescuing you too."

Suvi gave a start as she recognized the English accent. "Theron? I thought they..." She faltered. She had last seen Theron incapacitated on the ground beside her as they fled the fighting in Outcast HQ, and had heard the order to kill her. As far as she could tell, there had been no way out for Theron and so she had assumed the worst.

"Can't get rid of me that easily!" Theron said and ducked away again, out of sight.

"And Gil…?" Suvi asked nervously, looking up at Sara again. He had been missing when she left.

"He's fine," Sara promised her.

Suvi let out a breath of relief, but that quickly gave way to fear again. "Sara, I-"

"Did he hurt you?" Sara interrupted. Her eyes moved to the cut on Suvi's forehead and she gently brushed a finger beside the wound. Blood had run down the side of her face and spilled onto her hoody.

Suvi closed her eyes briefly leaned into her touch. "No, just my head," she said. "But that was one of his minions. And I guess my wrists when he tied me up. I wouldn't play nice," she gave a small mischievous smile. Sara pulled up one of the sleeves of the hoody Suvi wore, revealing her delicate wrists criss-crossed with bruises and cuts from bonds tied too tightly.

Cold fury filled her, igniting in her chest and burning bright. "He will pay for this," she said, her voice low and shaking with barely controlled rage.

"Sara, listen," Suvi said desperately, and Sara's eyes flicked up from the redhead's injuries to meet her gaze. "Vidal always intended for you to be here. You've played into his hands." She tightly gripped Sara's forearm as she spoke, pleading with her to listen.

"He doesn't know we're here," Sara replied soothingly. "Theron tracked this location through the vid he sent us, and-"

"Sara, he drew you here and... He told me what he intends to do to you," her voice cracked, "I _love_ that you came for me, but I wish you hadn't. If you get hurt because of me, then-mmph!" Sara silenced her with a kiss, pressing her lips against Suvi's and tossing her helmet aside so she could wrap her arms around the redhead and draw her close.

Suvi felt the world melt away, giving in entirely to the distraction.

"Hey, lovebirds, break it up, we gotta move out," Theron called in to them.

Sara broke their kiss reluctantly. Theron was right, the longer they stayed the more danger they were in. "Okay?" She checked with Suvi.

"Mmm," Suvi hummed lazily, still buzzing. Then gave Sara a disgruntled look. "They made me pee in a bucket."

"You can bring it up with customer services," Theron said, leaning around the door and impatiently motioning for them to move it. Sara scowled at Theron and turned back to Suvi. The redhead was anxious, worrying for Sara, worrying that she had endangered her friends. But it wasn't her fault. Sara placed her hands on Suvi's upper arms, squeezed gently. Reassuring her took priority.

"Not coming for you was never an option," she said. "Besides, I'm here now. So, relax and bask in the heroics." She flashed the cocky smirk that Suvi loved so much.

Heat spread through Suvi's chest. She had just had the day from Hell, had thought her friends had died, feared for Sara's safety but... Sara and her easy smile made her feel like everything was okay. "I love you," she blurted.

Sara stilled, blinked at her in surprise. "What?"

"Ryder, helmet on, someone's coming," Theron called through the door obliviously.

Sara turned away from Suvi and bent down, scooping up her helmet. Suvi was just beginning to panic, wondering if she had said the wrong thing, when Sara straightened, smiling crookedly and left a hasty kiss on Suvi's lips. "I love you too," she said simply, pulling on her helmet and fastening it in place. "Now, wipe that grin off your face and pretend you hate me."

Theron swiped her omni-tool, spying the turian pick up his pace as he saw the orange glow. "Kosta, distraction, STAT," she said.

" _One distraction, coming right up_ ," Liam replied almost instantly.

Theron dropped her arm to her side, tipped her head towards the rapidly approaching turian and stood to attention. He had stepped out of a room further down the corridor and seen Theron almost immediately.

"What are you doing?" He demanded as he neared her.

"Boss wants her with him for his next message," Theron jerked her head at the open doorway, praying Reyes hadn't already recorded or sent his message to Sara. Clearly he hadn't, as the turian nodded and peered inside the room to find Sara struggling to hold onto a furiously wriggling Suvi.

Suvi shoved at her, shouting, "get off of me!"

"She's a handful," the turian chuckled, looking back to Theron who snorted.

"You can say that again," she sighed.

A muffled 'boom' sounded from several floors above them. Dust rained down from the ceiling over them. Theron and the turian looked up in surprise, as though that would explain the noise.

"What was that?" The turian demanded in alarm.

"Sounded like a bomb," Theron helpfully supplied, attempting to inject as much confusion into her voice as possible. Behind them, Sara and Suvi had paused their fake fight for the briefest moment, as though also registering surprise at the noise, and then resumed.

The turian tapped on his omni-tool. "Status report?"

" _Someone blasted the main entrance open_. _We've got hostiles dropping in_ ," the answering voice was human or asari.

Theron saw the his mandibles twitch, saw him working through his options. "Get all hands there. We won't need to worry about the other entrances soon enough." Theron wondered what he meant by that.

" _Copy that_."

The turian cut the call. "Hurry up with her, then get to the fight," he ordered. Theron nodded her head.

A second explosion ripped through the mountain, this one louder, staggered, like multiple charges detonating slightly out of sequence. Theron stumbled as the reverberations through the rock caught her off guard. Sara and Suvi ceased their fake scuffle in shock. That one hadn't been part of the plan.

"Ha!" The turian looked triumphant. "Only one way in or out now. Pathfinder's between a rock and a hard place, eh?" He struck Theron's shoulder playfully with the back of one hand, pleased with his joke.

"Right…" Theron said slowly, realizing with a sickening feeling that Reyes had probably set charges up to bury the multitude of tunnels leading in and out of his little fortress. "Good," she added.

The turian paused suddenly, eyeing her suspiciously. "What did you say your name was?"

Perhaps it was that she was too slow to react to his glee, or that she hadn't seemed too enthused. Whatever it was, it seemed he had realized something was up with the helmeted woman in front of him.

Theron smiled slowly, the movement hidden behind her tinted visor. "Heh…"

She saw surprise flicker briefly across his face as she whipped her hand out and a powerful wave of biotic energy slammed into his chest. He was lifted off his feet from the force of the attack and thrown into the wall opposite, head snapping back and striking the wall panel with a wet smack. The body crumpled to the floor and remained still.

Sara darted out into the corridor on hearing the commotion, took in the glistening blue spatter on the wall, the body on the floor, the bloody mess of his head, and turned to stare at Theron.

"That is the grossest thing I've ever seen..." She announced.

"I doubt that," Theron replied, arching one eyebrow in disbelief.

Sara turned to speak over her shoulder, "Suvi, don't look!"

Suvi rolled her eyes as she left her prison. "Sara, I'm more than capable of..." Her voice trailed off as she took in the mess. "Oh. Wow. Uh..." She swallowed, feeling a tremor in her throat.

"Aha," Sara agreed.

"I mean, he should have had a helmet on," Theron shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. Suvi stared at her, expression caught somewhere between disgust and bemusement.

Sara's omni-tool chimed an incoming voice message that she answered automatically, "go ahead." She shifted position so that her body blocked the view of the dead turian from Suvi.

" _Sara, what a coincidence_ ," Reyes, bright and cheery. Sara felt her skin crawl. Beside her, Theron and Suvi's attention snapped to her omni-tool. " _I was just about to call you, but it looks like you're already here! Make yourself comfortable, you'll be staying a while_." He sniggered and signed off before she could reply. Sara rolled her eyes. Of course, he had to let her know he knew she was there, had to show he was in control of the situation.

"Well, he seems decidedly unruffled," Theron commented, unease edging her voice as she lifted her gaze from Sara's omni-tool to Sara's tinted visor.

"He _wants_ you here," Suvi insisted, looking up at Sara worriedly.

" _Ryder, come in_ ," Peebee's voice came from Sara's omni-tool, along with the crack of gunfire and shouting.

"Someone's popular," Theron teased.

Sara ignored her. "Peebee, I told you guys not to radio us."

" _Okay, but, did you set up some extra bombs you forgot to tell us about_?" The asari's voice, usually so playful, was wary.

"That was Vidal," Theron explained, leaning towards Sara to make sure her voice was picked up by the omni-tool. "I think he's destroyed all other exits. We'll have to come to you."

" _Damn, okay_ ," Peebee muttered. " _Hi Suvi, by the way_!"

"Hi..." Suvi answered awkwardly, finding the middle of a battle a strange time to greet someone. But then, Peebee was a law unto her own.

" _Grenade_!" Sloane shouted in the background. Her cry was followed by Drack laughing, then the muffled explosion of a grenade and panicked screaming.

" _Nice kick_!" Peebee called. " _Gotta go, Ryder_ ," she said, and the sounds of fighting were cut off.

"Bye..." Sara muttered pointlessly.

"Well, they sound like they're having fun," Theron said. Sara looked at her a moment, then turned to Suvi.

"Looks like we might need to fight our way out," she said. "Remember what I showed you, about how to fire a gun?"

Suvi gave a start. "Well, yes, but-"

Sara pressed a pistol into her palm. Suvi stared down at it, closing numb fingers around the grip.

"Just in case," Sara spoke quietly.

"Shooting cans is a bit different to being in a firefight!" Suvi protested, head snapping up as Sara pulled away, leaving the heavy weapon in her hand.

"You'll be fine," Theron assured her.

"SAM, plot us a new route," Sara instructed the AI, moving along the corridor back in the direction they had come from.

" _There are two ways out, Pathfinder. The closest exit is two floors up, where the Tempest crew and Sloane are currently fighting. The second is the landing platform,_ " the platform high above their current position. Sara felt a sinking feeling in her gut." _The only viable pathway will still bring you close to the fighting, but I will be able to direct you away from most of the hostiles._ "

Sara glanced back at Suvi, considering, then sighed with resignation. "The second," she muttered. It would take more time, her crew would have to survive longer than originally planned, there could be casualties, but she couldn't bring Suvi into another gunfight.

Seconds later the display inside her helmet changed and a new navpoint blinked in her vision. "This way," she said to Suvi and Theron, reaching back for her Avenger. It unfolded in her hands and she held it across her body, striding forwards.

"After you," Theron inclined her head towards Suvi, who hurried after Sara with Theron tailing them.

SAM's new route lead them through an open doorway into an adjoining wide corridor devoid of wall panels. Rusting metal struts formed a line of ribs from one end to the other, bracing the bare rock walls. A string of caged bulbs hung from the ceiling, marching away towards a dark doorway, through which a metal stairway was visible, spiralling up to the floor above. Empty racking was bolted against some of the walls, thick with dust. New crates and boxes were stacked at intervals, supplies for the Collective.

"Did the fabulous interior design funds not stretch to here?" Theron asked.

"This is storage, I don't think it mattered," Suvi told her, eyeing a thick metal support warily as they passed. It looked like it was buckling, and she thought nervously of the thousands of tonnes of rock overhead.

Theron cocked her head curiously. "How do you know that?"

"There was a sign before we came in," Suvi glanced back at her and grinned.

"Oh…"

" _Ryder_ ," Cora's voice came from Sara's omni-tool.

Sara crooked her arm, the gauntlet painting the walls around her orange. "I'm here."

" _We've pushed the Collective pretty far back, they're starting to retreat. Just a heads up, you guys might have trouble heading your way_."

"Of course," Sara muttered. It would be just her luck to bump into a group of fleeing hostiles.

" _I saw them head for the stairs, didn't see which-Wait, Sloane_!" A hail of bullets, a scuffle. Cora swore.

Sara felt a stab of nerves in her chest. "What's going on?" She demanded.

" _She saw Vidal and just took off after him. Most of the Collective have left with them_."

Sara closed her eyes and pressed one hand against the top of her helmet. Bloody Sloane… "Okay…" She couldn't just leave Sloane by herself, outnumbered against Vidal and his goons. "Push after them when you can. Do whatever you have to to get her back." She grit her teeth, added, "even if you have to smack her upside the head."

" _Copy that. Out_."

"Does that woman have a death wish?" Sara growled, switching off her omni-tool.

"Uh, could you call back and ask them to film it if they have to deck her?" Theron asked. Sara turned to face her incredulously. "What? It'd be funny!"

Sara shook her head and continued towards the stairway.

"It would!" Theron insisted.

" _Pathfinder, hostiles inbound_ ," SAM spoke from Sara's omni-tool.

Sara whipped round as she heard running from behind them to see a group of Collective racing through the doorway Suvi, Theron and she had come through moments before. Both groups halted in surprise. The leader, a huge tank of a man, pointed a finger right at Sara.

"There! After them!" He roared with a voice that sounded like he gargled with nails every morning. The Collective charged, swarming through the corridor to take up positions.

"Go!" Theron cried, pulling her gun over one shoulder and snapping a biotic barrier into place around herself. "Get out of here, I'll hold them off."

A hail of bullets sparked off the walls around Theron, but she stood her ground. In the corridor the sound was almost deafening.

Sara hesitated only briefly before she snatched Suvi's hand and sprinted for the stairway. It wasn't far but Suvi began to pull back, trying to halt their progress.

"Sara!" She protested. "We can't just leave her!"

Sara paused and glanced back over her shoulder. Theron was projecting a bubble of biotics around herself, blocking the Collective off from Suvi and Sara. The Collective had taken cover nearby and were firing on the barrier, weakening it as they slowly pushed forwards, afraid of what Theron would do if they came too close. It wouldn't be long before they found their courage and she was overrun.

"Stay here," Sara ordered, pushing Suvi behind a stack of metal crates. She then turned and dashed back towards Theron, flicking the safety off her rifle.

Theron looked back at her, then released her barrier, channelling the energy into a throw that had one of her enemies flying backwards into his comrade behind him. Sara sprayed bullets across the corridor, forcing their enemies into hiding as she made her way into cover. Theron happily threw herself amongst the Collective, using her biotics to force them out into the open so Sara could gun them down. She squeezed the trigger of her auto rifle and a barrage of bullets hammered into the back of a turian. She saw the tell-tale flicker of his shields depleting as he desperately rushed towards a stack of crates, but Sara's weapon ripped through his armour and brought him down. She ducked out of her own cover to move to a better vantage point, moving low to provide a smaller target as bullets zipped passed Theron and struck the rock walls. Chips of stone flew in all directions. Theron vaulted over a crate and streaked forwards in a blur of energy, cannoning into a female turian with the force of a freight train.

Sara felt her weapon ripped from her hands as the human tank lurched around a pile of metal sheets stacked against one wall. The weapon looked like a toy in his hands. He smirked and tossed the weapon aside, striding forwards. Sara ducked as he swung an arm tightly corded with muscle, stepping inside his guard and slamming her own fist against his unprotected ribs. It was like punching the side of a building; she felt the shock travel painfully up her arm and into her shoulder. She leaped back as he reached for her again, darting around his attacks and landing her own, though they did nothing. She sidestepped a lunge and jumped towards the gun he had tossed aside, bending to scoop it up.

"I don't think so," he snarled. Sara felt her fingers graze over her weapon as an impact struck between her shoulders, like a battering ram, that shoved her into the wall as he slapped a palm between her shoulder blades. Strong fingers gripped the back of her helmet and spun her round, to face the tank. Something jabbed her in the gut and she looked down in alarm. A shotgun barrel was pressed to her stomach. She looked back up, into the leering face of a man that had little else going for him other than strength and a love for carnage.

He grinned at her triumphantly. "Say goodbye, Pathfinder."

Sara felt her entire body go numb, her mind going blank as she realized no matter what she did, she wouldn't escape a shotgun at point blank range. She flinched as she heard the gunshot, but then the man was pulling away from her with a roar of pain, clutching at his bicep as his weapon clattered uselessly to the floor. Sara realized she was still in one piece, and the man before her had a gunshot wound instead.

"Goodbye, Pathfinder," Theron said, seconds before her omni-blade punched through the man's throat from behind, glowing blade erupting through the front of his neck. Sara sidestepped as blood sprayed outwards from the wound.

Theron wrenched her blade free and the man toppled forwards, grasping weakly at his neck as blood pulsed from the wound. Theron glanced down and fired a single shot from her rifle into the back of his skull, killing him instantly.

"And that's the second time I've saved you," she told Sara as the Pathfinder bent down to retrieve her fallen rifle. "Not that I'm keeping count."

"Aha," Sara said wryly as she straightened, checking over her weapon. It hadn't been Theron's attack that had saved her, it was that single bullet, striking the man's arm before he could fire. And the shot hadn't come from Theron, it had come from-

"Suvi," Sara breathed and spun round to see Suvi stood motionless in the middle of the corridor, firing stance perfect, but eyes wide with shock. She clasped the pistol with both hands, still aiming down the corridor.

Beside her, she saw Theron hastily put a barrier in place around herself.

"Suvi, is the safety on?" Sara asked calmly.

Suvi quickly thumbed it on. "I shot him," she spoke numbly, arms dropping to her sides.

"You saved me," Sara told her. "Theron killed him." She made to walk towards Suvi, to soothe her through the shock of shooting another living being, when she heard the clear ring of a grenade hammer releasing behind them. The metallic thud of casing striking rock as it hit the floor.  
Theron drew in a sharp breath and threw one arm out. A tendril of energy slammed into Sara's chest and threw her backwards along the corridor. The air left her lungs as her shoulders crashed back down to earth and she skidded on her back towards Suvi as, with a deafening explosion, the grenade detonated. Metal screamed as the ceiling supports gave way where Sara had been standing moments before and rock came crashing down, filling the corridor with rubble and choking dust. The lights above winked out as the cord linking them was severed in a shower of sparks.

Sara lay on her back, adrenaline flooding icy cold through her veins, heart crashing almost painfully against her ribs. She felt about for her rifle, find it fallen beside her legs and snatched it up, flicked on the torch mounted beneath the barrel and scrabbled to her feet, casting the beam about herself. She rushed the few remaining steps towards Suvi, who had ducked down behind the crates Sara had left her at before the fighting as soon as the ceiling began to collapse.

"You okay?" She asked. Suvi nodded mutely, hopping to her feet and looking towards the damage.

Sara trained her beam back down the corridor. As the dust settled they could see slabs of duracrete and rock blocking the corridor, and metal rebar bent like rubber from a gaping hole in the ceiling. Lights showed a corridor above them clad in off-white panels. Dust swirled in the shaft of white.

Sara and Suvi exchanged a startled glance. Theron had been standing there.

"Theron?" Sara asked, surging towards the block. She heard the sounds of a scuffle beyond, one gun shot, then a second, twin cracks thunderous in the sudden silence following the explosion. Sara halted uselessly at the edge of the rubble. "Theron?!"

"Here," Theron grunted from the other side of the block. Sara let out the breath she had been holding as she heard Theron's footsteps approaching. She felt relief flood through her, racing heartrate finally returning to normal.

"Saved you again," Theron said playfully, voice muffled strangely by the debris.

"But who's counting?" Sara replied with a grin.

Theron gave a snort of humour. Then, "are you guys okay?"

"Fine," Sara said, looking sideways at Suvi. Suvi inched closer and curled her fingers into Sara's, casting a worried gaze over the collapsed corridor. It was impassable and would take some time to clear. "You?"

Theron sighed in frustration. "Yeah. Should have checked everyone was dead... Can you guys carry on?"

Sara frowned. "Yeah, but what about you?" They couldn't just abandon her.

"Those guys came from somewhere," Theron said. "I'll find a way out or I'll meet up with you guys."

"Okay, stay safe," Sara told her.

* * *

Theron heard Sara and Suvi moving away, heard the tread of two sets of feet on rickety metal stairs.

She pulled her hand away from her side and saw blood glistening red on her glove.  
One of the humans had been merely wounded in the fight and had managed to toss a grenade. Theron had landed next her after diving to safety, away from the blast, and a fight had broken out between them. In the tussle the woman had drawn a pistol and fired on Theron. The bullet had grazed her side, a minor flesh wound. Hurt like a bitch though.

She had easily wrestled the weapon from the woman's grasp and turned it on her, splashed her brains across the floor.

Theron sighed again, pulling a sachet of medigel from her utility belt, and began to limp towards the doorway at the end of the corridor.


	14. Chapter 11

The stairs creaked ominously as Sara and Suvi slowly picked their way upwards, the torch on Sara's weapon the only light. Suvi suspected the stairway hadn't been used at all since the mine beneath them had been closed. The air felt still and smelled musty, dust motes swirling around them in a choking blizzard. Metal treads rattled and shook beneath their weight, groaning loudly each time Sara put one foot down and carefully shifted her weight into it to check the stability. The handrail was rough with corrosion, and some of the steps had been near eaten through with rust.

Suvi breathed a sigh of relief as she reached the landing behind Sara, feeling solid flooring under her feet once more. Sara flicked off her torch and turned to face her. Light spilled through the open doorway ahead from the corridor outside, glinting off the barrel of her gun.

"Okay?" Sara checked with her again. Suvi folded her arms over her chest, holding onto the soothing effect Sara had on her as she pushed back feelings of terror and panic. She could deal with those later, once they had reached safety and such things couldn't hamper escape.

"I could really use a cup of tea," she muttered.

Sara gave a snort of laughter, squeezing Suvi's shoulder as she pulled away to look out into the corridor beyond, first one way, then the other. Quick, sharp movements, taking in their surroundings in the blink of an eye. "I'll make you one when we get back to Tempest." She signalled for Suvi to follow her and stepped into the light. Tall free-standing lamps, powered by portable generators, illuminated the corridor. Smooth wall panels, once white, now discoloured by the grime of years of disuse, attempted to reflect the light, to make the dreary underground surroundings seem bright and airy. "Maybe I'll fix myself a cup too."

"Not coffee?" Suvi asked, trailing after her and feeling incredibly useless now that her weapon had been confiscated. Sara had been overly concerned with the affect shooting someone had had on Suvi and reclaimed the handgun.

"Tea is for relaxing, right?" Sara looked over her shoulder at Suvi, face hidden behind her tinted visor. Suvi felt the Pathfinder cut quite a dashing figure in her black armour. The polish had rubbed off on the AI logo and the blue and white showed up clearly against jet black plates.

"Yes," Suvi said. "But also, tea is good in all situations." She gave Sara a small playful smile.

"Coffee is better," Sara taunted her, a familiar argument with them. She shouldered her weapon as she went through a doorway, then motioned to Suvi once she was certain the room was clear. Suvi stepped into a brightly lit stairway and Sara began to lead the way up.

" _Ryder_ ," Cora's voice came from Sara's omni-tool cuff, this time devoid of gunfire and shouting. Sara tapped her wrist and the orange gauntlet flared to life around her forearm.

"Wazup?" Sara's head twitched up, looking to Suvi, who grinned at the casual greeting.

Ever the professional, Cora paused in confusion. " _Um. We've found Sloane_ ," she continued, choosing to gloss over Sara's odd opening. " _She was pinned down by a couple of Vidal's goons. We dealt with them and she's fine_."

" _I didn't need rescuing_!" Sloane protested irritably in the background.

"Aha," Sara replied, voice going high at the end as she struggled to contain a laugh. She knew Sloane's sulky expression, knew the Queen of Kadara would be in a huff about the Nexus coming to her aid however much she needed it, and the mental images were almost too much. "Hold position, SAM says me and Suvi are right by you guys."

" _And Theron_ …?" Cora asked, voice tinged with concern as Sara left off the third member of her party.

"Long story, we got split up. We're on our way."

Sara tapped her omni-tool and the orange flare faded.

"C'mon," she said to Suvi, holding her gun with both hands again and picking up the pace.

* * *

Reyes Vidal was, as the old Earth saying went, stuck up Shit Creek without a paddle. Well, that wasn't strictly true. He had a paddle incoming in the form of a shuttle, though that was a fair distance off currently. He knew there wouldn't be room enough on it for everyone to board, but Sara and her buddies were doing a fabulous job of thinning numbers for him. He suspected he had already lost half his men, and the body count was rising.

Six ran with him currently, flanking him like bodyguards as he took point. His leg burned like fire, sending hot spikes of agony stabbing upwards into his lower back, but he ignored the pain. He suspected it was nothing compared to what was in store for him if Sara caught up.

That damned Nexus bitch.

He felt something he hadn't experienced in a long, _long_ time. Or, perhaps, he had been feeling it since the moment Sara's forces had pushed inside his base much easier than he had anticipated, it had just taken him this long to realize it.

Fear coiled thick and restless in his gut. He knew how Sara's heart governed her mind, no matter how much she had grown up since taking up the mantle of Pathfinder. Goading Sloane and Sara into a revenge-fuelled hunt for himself had been easy, but now he was starting to regret it. He had allowed his own feelings, his need to hurt them and exact his own revenge, to cloud his judgment. A simple bullet from afar would have done the job just as well.

He had expected Sara to organize some kind of ninja-like rescue to get her lover back, if anything. Not a full-scale assault on a location she knew nothing about. He hadn't prepared for that scenario and now everything was falling apart. He would need to be stricter about just who he recruited to his cause, his current minions barely had a brain cell between them.

And so, he had changed his orders from capture to kill in the hopes that might slow down Sara and Sloane so he could escape. No savouring the slow torture of his enemies for Reyes. But sometimes sacrifices had to be made.

His men, however, seemed to be having trouble with even that simple act.

"I am surrounded by idiots," he muttered to himself, and if his comrades heard, he didn't care. He was passed caring.

He froze as he rounded a corner, held up one fist to halt the group behind him. As one they stopped and came to attention. At least they could get _one_ thing right.

There, before him, ripe for the taking, was a bargaining chip. A cruel smile spread slowly across his face. Perhaps the Gods were smiling down on him, after all.

* * *

Theron had pulled off her helmet and left it behind in one of the labyrinthine corridors, finding it stuffy and hard to breathe. On some level, she recognized the signs of panic. She was injured, lost and alone deep behind enemy lines. She knew losing her helmet was a stupid decision, but currently she didn't care. She just wanted out. She had retraced her steps all the way back to the tunnel she and Sara had used to enter Reyes' base and had found, as she suspected, the doorway caved in from some kind of explosion. She had turned back and hurried through the corridors, trying to stick to the ones with power in the hopes she would find her way to an exit she could use. Her schematics were useless but maybe SAM could send her a nav-point.

She pulled up her omni-tool, staring down at the display as it connected. As soon as it was linked she spoke, "Ryder, I-"

She froze, feeling cold metal press to the back of her skull, at once alien and familiar. Gun. A shiver ran the length of her spine as her brain threw out the word. She cut the transmission and let her hands drop to her sides, fingers tingling as her heartrate kicked up a notch.

Could she react faster than a trigger pull? Probably not.

"Theron, I presume?" The silken tones of Reyes Vidal dropped ice into the pit of her stomach.

* * *

Sara paused as she reached the top of the stairs, listening. She trusted SAM's scans, telling her there were no hostiles in their vicinity, but still. It paid to err on the side of caution.

"Okay," she said to Suvi, looking back at her and pushing through the open doorway. Her omni-tool buzzed on her wrist.

" _Ryder, I_ -" Theron started, and immediately cut herself off.

"These people don't have a clue about stealth," Sara sighed, shouldering her weapon as she waited for Theron to continue. Instead the transmission ended with a soft click. She frowned, tapped her omni-tool to request Theron open the channel again. "Theron?" Silence. She reached back and returned her weapon to its shoulder holster and double tapped on her omni-tool, as though expecting a connection issue. "Theron, go ahead."

Nothing but dead air.

"Maybe she's in a situation where she can't talk," Suvi suggested.

Like hiding. Sara mentally kicked herself for endangering her friend. "Come on, let's get to the others, then we can find Theron."

SAM's navpoint lead them through a maze of corridors and rooms, some powered by portable generators, some pitch black, needing the torch on Sara's weapon to light their way.

"The longer we hang around here the more time Vidal has to escape!" Came Sloane's angry shout from the room at the end of the well-lit corridor Sara and Suvi currently walked along.

"Good to see the others are keeping a low profile," Sara sighed.

"Stay where you are," Cora replied sharply. "You rushing off endangers us all, or don't you care about that?"

"I care about- Ryder! Finally! What took you so long?" Sloane's glare switched from Cora to Sara as she saw the Pathfinder enter the room. Sara glanced around herself at the handful of Collective bodies slumped on the floor, the bullet holes in the walls, and the upended storage crates that spilled packets of food and medical supplies across the floor, presumably disturbed in the fighting.

"There was a fight," she said, looking back up at Sloane. "I think Theron might be in danger. We have to look for her."

"Something happened to Theron?" Cora asked. "Must be Tuesday."

"Oh, for the-" Sloane grit her teeth and clenched her fists at her sides. "We have to go after Vidal!"

"He can barely walk, he won't have gotten far," Suvi replied, shooting her a cold look.

" _Pathfinder, Theron's omni-tool is currently located on the floor above your position_ ," SAM said aloud. " _Scans indicate several hostiles are with her. It is likely one of them is Reyes Vidal_."

"Give me a navpoint, SAM," Sara requested. A marker blinked on her visor display as she drew her rifle and automatically checked her ammo and scope. "Okay, let's go, people."

"Finally," Sloane muttered, shadowing Sara as she jogged across the room, following the route SAM was feeding her.

Suvi found herself flanked by Cora and Vetra, with Jaal bringing up the rear, the others ahead of them lead by Sara.

"How are you holding up?" Cora asked, masking her concern with casual professionalism, simply the Pathfinder's second-in-command asking after their charge's capabilities.

Nervous, aching and exhausted. "Fine," Suvi said quickly, eyes fixed on the back of Sara's helmet. "Thank you," she added, lest her hasty reply be taken as disrespect.

"That's a real war-wound you've got there," Vetra commented, tone playful. She nodded at the wound on the side of Suvi's head.

"Not really," Suvi replied, looking up at her while self-consciously bringing her fingers up to the cut. "I wasn't fighting at the time."

"From what I hear, they cheated and incapacitated you before you had the chance," Jaal said. Suvi glanced over her shoulder at him to find the angaran smiling at her. "You have a warrior's spirit, though."

"I…really don't," Suvi said. She certainly didn't feel like a fighter, having spent her time since being abducted huddled in a closet. She had fought when Reyes sent his men to bring her to him for his video message, but that small rebellion had been shut down quickly. She rubbed at her aching wrists as they walked and smiled wryly.

Cora looked thoughtful. "You're very curious."

"And love exploring," Vetra added. Suvi raised an eyebrow, tipping her head to watch the turian, wondering where this was going. "Perhaps a scout spirit?"

Jaal chuckled behind them. "An excellent choice."

"Um…Thank you, but I'm happy staying behind on the Tempest for future endeavours," Suvi told them.

"If you could stop trying to recruit my girlfriend, that'd be great," Sara called back to them. Suvi gave a crooked smile, watching the back of Sara's helmet again as she led the march through the facility. They were climbing another set of stairs, moving higher. Reyes was heading for the landing platform, then.

Generators hummed on the landing, powering the overhead lights in the corridor. There were two, pushed up against the walls out of the way, cables curving out the door and out of sight. The sign drilled into the wall beside the door listed various different departments and their locations in angaran. Sara glanced over it curiously. They had left the residential area for the administration floor; their destination was apparently in the records office and had been for some time now. Reyes was waiting for them.

They edged their way silently towards the closed door, guns held ready. The lock in the centre of the metal panels glowed a bright green, open to all, no hacking necessary.

Sara turned to face her crew. "They know we're here," she said quietly. "Drack, move in with me first, everyone else follows. Suvi, keep behind everyone, Cora, you're in charge of keeping her safe."

"Sure thing," Cora nodded, allowing her biotics to flare.

"Who knows, maybe he just wants to talk," Sara said bitterly. She nodded to Drack and he slapped a hand against the door controls. The panels hissed as they split and revealed the room beyond. Sara and the krogan ducked inside, weapons aimed forwards.

Shadows on the floor marked out blocks where cubicles and desks had once stood. Rust stains showed the areas where the desks had been bolted to the floor. The room was completely empty now, save for the Collective that flanked Reyes Vidal. They stood motionless, weapons trained on the Pathfinder and her team. Theron was on her knees in front of Reyes, fingers laced on top of her head as he pressed the barrel of a pistol to the back of her skull. A slash of red against her ribs showed she had been wounded in a fight, something cutting through the toughened under armour fabric between the sturdy plates.

"Hi, guys," Theron smiled weakly. "You should have just left without me."

"Nope," Sara replied, moving forwards. She could hear her crew fanning out behind her. Arrowhead formation. Suvi in the middle.

"That's close enough, don't you think?" Reyes said conversationally, arching one eyebrow in amusement as he tightened his grip on Theron's hair. She grit her teeth in pain and tipped her head back, trying to ease the strain against her scalp. Moving her head back meant the gun barrel dug further into her skin.

Sara felt her stomach clench, molten lava poured into her core, as she looked at Reyes. "Let her go," she snarled, blue eyes boring into his.

"Oh, she's not in any real danger," Reyes said pleasantly, jerking his head back at one of his men. A turian seemed to read something in the gesture as he broke formation to turn and key in a code into the door behind them.

Theron paused in confusion, but the gun at the back of her skull was unwavering. "I'm not?" She asked uncertainly.

"Of course not!" Reyes hauled her to her feet, his hand tight on her upper arm, the gun still pressed into her head. "Never trust a thief," he told the others, as though explaining that yes, water was, in fact, wet. "Theron is the reason you're all here! She helped take Suvi. She didn't _hack_ her way here, she already knew where to find me, and I _let_ her in. Say hello to your leak!" He grinned broadly at them, feeling a rush of excitement as he saw the comprehension in the Pathfinder's eyes, identical looks on the faces of her crew.

Theron blinked. "Wuh?!"

Reyes shoved her with a surprising strength. She felt her feet leave the floor and then she was crashing into Sara, bowling them both over, as Reyes and his men dashed through the open doorway behind themselves. The panels slid shut and gunfire rattled from beyond. The control panel shone orange, displaying an error message.

"You sack of varren shit!" Drack roared, stomping forwards and hauling Theron off Sara by the back of her neck. Theron yelped in pain as the krogan adjusted his grip, closing his claws about the front of her throat. He tossed aside his shotgun to painfully grip her left wrist hard enough for the bones to grind, twisting her arm up behind her back. She felt muscles and tendons scream in protest at the unnatural position. He had lifted her enough by her throat that her oxygen was slightly cut off, and only the toes of her boots touched the floor, barely supporting her weight.

"He's lying!" She choked desperately, arching her back to try and ease the discomfort in her shoulder. She began to channel energy into her body, preparing to shove Drack away. As though he sensed the change, Drack tightened his grip, claws digging painfully into her throat. Any attempt at escape would result in a broken arm and a crushed wind pipe.

"Drack, drop her," Cora ordered as she helped Sara back onto her feet.

"No, don't," Sara said quickly, reaching up and fumbling with the fastenings on her helmet. She pulled it off and let it drop to the floor, needing to see Theron without the tint of her visor, to look her properly in the eyes. "Why would he do that?" She demanded, thoughts a tangled mess as she desperately searched Theron's eyes. She didn't know what to believe. It all made a kind of horrifying sense. "What does he gain from lying?"

"Because while you're preoccupied with not trusting me, he can escape!" Theron cried quickly, terrified. She had thought Sara was learning to trust her, to rebuild their friendship, but the conflict in Sara's eyes, the anger and confusion, said otherwise.

Her heart hammered in her chest, pulse throbbing against the claws digging into her throat. She stared into Sara's eyes, willing the Pathfinder to believe her. She could see the rest of the Tempest crew shifting uncomfortably behind Sara, just as lost as their leader. Sloane was eyeing her suspiciously, quietly working it through in her own mind.

"She speaks sense," Jaal spoke finally. "We all know how manipulative Vidal is. It's just like him to sense your distrust of Theron and play on it."

"Shall I rip her throat out or not?" Drack growled at Sara, tipping his head to fix the Pathfinder with a furiously burning gaze. He was struggling to not just close his fist on Theron's throat. His mind was made up, but he waited on the word of Sara.

Before Sara could open her mouth to answer, Suvi gripped her forearm. Sara looked down at her in surprise. "I trust Theron..." she said quietly. "This isn't on her."

"For once in my life I'm innocent," Theron spoke with difficulty, hardly daring to move.

Sara looked at Theron again, meeting her gaze for a long moment. Behind her, Cora discretely took a step forwards, as though preparing to step in, to force Drack to release the other woman.

"I-" Sara faltered. It was just Reyes toying with her, playing with her fears while she was already off balance. "I believe you." Her eyes flicked to Drack's. "Let her go."

He dropped Theron and stepped back, retrieving his fallen shotgun as she fell to her knees, clutching her arm to her chest and gasping for breath.

Suvi rushed to her, crouching and laying a hand delicately on her shoulder.

"Are you-"

Theron jerked away from her, refusing to look up. "I'm fine," she muttered hoarsely.

Suvi pursed her lips, but said nothing, recognising a dented pride. She stood up and shot the Tempest crew a disapproving glare, a few choice words on her tongue. Vetra averted her gaze and moved towards the door Reyes and his lackeys had escaped through.

"I don't care if you're coming with me or getting your girl out of here," Sloane told Sara, moving towards the damaged door, "but I'm going after Vidal."

Liam looked from Sloane to Sara. "He needs to be brought to justice."

"I'd really like to punch him in the face," Suvi admitted, and shifted awkwardly as everyone stared at her in shock. "For…Justice."

Sloane snorted in amusement. "I knew you weren't just a prissy little nerd."

"He's killed the control panel," Vetra told them, turning away from inspecting the door's control panel and looking troubled. "We won't be able to hack it."

"But we can smash through it," Drack said, voice tinged with excitement.

"Cora, weaken it with your biotics," Sara said. "Then Drack, have at it." A flare of orange drew her attention to Theron, who had called up her omni-tool and was fiddling with something. She felt a flicker of suspicion, shoved it away, couldn't help asking, "what are you doing?" She was relatively certain she kept her voice level, accusation-free.

"He's heading for his shuttle," Theron replied dully. Sara felt guilt settle heavily in her chest at Theron's subdued tone. She was focussed on her omni-tool, refusing to make eye-contact. "The landing platform has full power. I can keep the tethers locked down when the shuttle docks, but it won't hold them for long."

"Great idea!" Theron glanced up at Sara's overly-enthusiastic tone. Sara flushed with shame on seeing the whites of Theron's eyes shot through with red, and cleared her throat. "Thank you," she added quietly.

"Right," Theron replied, looking back at her omni-tool and swiping it off.

"Theron, um…" Sara started, but wasn't sure how to finish. She met Theron's grey eyes briefly, glanced away, rubbed at the scar beneath her eye. "I just- I mean- it's just- well, you…"

Theron let her struggle for words for a moment, then sighed, knowing exactly what it was that Sara was trying to say. "You suck at this."

Sara deflated, raised her eyes to Theron's again, and this time, maintained contact. "It's harder when you really mean it," she said softly.

"Just leave it," Theron said, shaking her head. "I understand. Everyone is high strung and I'm the untrustworthy outsider." She shrugged.

"You're not helping with the guilt," Sara muttered.

"Ready," Cora called, taking up position in front of the doors.

Theron glanced over at the Pathfinder's second, then looked to Sara and offered a small smile. "Come on. Let's do this."

* * *

The turian had shot the control panel of the door, disabling it in a shower of sparks. Reyes had been hoping the high-strung Pathfinder and self-titled Queen of Kadara would just rip Theron apart, distracting themselves long enough for him to escape.

Apparently, that was too much to ask for.

His omni-tool chimed an incoming message. He accepted the request as he limped through a doorway, waiting for his men to follow him through and the door to close before firing a single shot from his pistol into the control panel, effectively sealing it.

" _Boss, we've docked the shuttle but the landing clamps auto-locked. We can't get them off_ ," his pilot spoke, clearly agitated.

Of course. Of course, his only method of escape was locked down. Because why would his scheme possibly work when Sara was around to ruin it?

"And what do you expect me to do about it from here?" He hissed through grit teeth.

The pilot faltered. " _Uh_..."

"Exactly! Unlock them! I don't care how you do it, blast them off, melt them off, just _do_ it!" His face twisted into a viscous snarl. That damn hacker. Their distrust of her hadn't lasted long, then.

" _Right. We'll... Get right on it_."

"You do that," he spat and ended the call.

From the floor below he heard a muffled boom, followed closely by the crash of rending metal. They were through. Sara and Sloane were coming for him.

"Hurry up," he snapped at the remaining Collective around him, lurching faster. He missed their exchanged glances. He was the one slowing them down, but no one was brave enough to say it.

* * *

"Busted again," Liam groaned, striking a fist against the solid metal door panel in annoyance. The lock burned a stubborn orange, cycling through error text.

Sara gave a growl of frustration. "Break it down."

"We're not going to catch him if he keeps sealing the doors," Sloane grumbled, pacing the corridor with her hands clenched into fists at her sides as Drack dug his claws into the seam between the door panels and heaved.

"I think that's the idea," Jaal told her and she shot a frosty glare his way.

Theron's head snapped up so suddenly Sara immediately raised her weapon, bracing for trouble.

"I have an idea!" She announced.

"Oh..." Sara quickly relaxed, feeling foolish. "Maybe inspiration could strike less dramatically next time?"

Theron ignored her, calling up her omni-tool and typing rapid-fire, brow furrowed in concentration as she navigated her way through the limited systems available to her.

Drack gave a powerful roar and dragged the door panel open. Metal shrieked in protest, and sparks spat from the inner workings, showering over his arms as he forced the electronics and mechanics to obey his command.

"It's open!" He grunted, stepping back and dusting off his hands. A two-tone siren began to wail, near deafening in the corridor. There was a hiss and sprinklers activated, showering rust coloured water from the ceiling.

"What did you do?!" Vetra asked, staring at him in confusion.

"That was me, sorry," Theron apologized.

"Great work, you made it rain inside," Peebee said irritably, ducking her head in an attempt to stop the water running into her eyes.

"What?" Theron scoffed, raising one eyebrow at her. "Worried it'll mess up your hair?" Peebee narrowed her eyes dangerously.

"Quit it, you two," Sara warned them both, pushing through the damaged doorway.

"I tricked the system into thinking there's a fire on this floor," Theron explained, following her. "The doors will seal the level to contain it, but every other door will be forced open for an evacuation. Vidal won't be able to close them."

"Nice work!" Sara grinned sideways at her as they ran. Their boots slapped wetly against the floor as puddles began to gather. Another door stood sealed up ahead, blocking off a stairwell.

"Outta the way, kids," Drack rumbled, shoving his way through his colleagues. He bowed his head, picking up speed, giving an exultant bellow as he smashed into the door. The metal panels screeched and gave under his weight as though he had simply run through a blanket rather than several inches of durasteel. He could be heard roaring with laughter on the other side.

"Wow…" Theron breathed.

"Yup," Sara beamed proudly and splashed across the wet floor through the wrecked door after the krogan. He was already pounding up the stairs. She heard him draw his shotgun and put on a burst of extra speed.

" _This level is clear of hostiles_ ," SAM told her privately. " _Reyes Vidal has almost reached the landing platform_."

"Let's move, guys! No more obstructions," Sara called over her shoulder. She took the stairs three at a time, caught up with Drack, and kept going, leading the way through open door after open door, up another flight of stairs. She could hear her crew running behind her, keeping pace as they ran hell for leather through rooms and corridors while the fire alarm blared through the facility.

They burst through the doorway at the top of another landing. Ahead of them was a large room with a desk against one wall and a bank of chairs in the middle, a welcome centre of some kind. The double doors were open wide, showing night sky beyond. A shuttle was docked on the platform outside and someone was crouched beside the landing clamps, plasma cutter in hand, burning through the metal. Rain steamed in the heat, fizzed over the platform as it fell in heavy sheets.

Reyes was sprinting for the shuttle, limping badly. The Collective that had been fleeing with him stopped and turned to face the Tempest crew and opened fire. Cora grabbed Suvi and dived back through the door, throwing up a biotic barrier around them both. Peebee swiped one arm while drawing her pistol and two of the Collective were knocked sideways by her own biotics. Drack charged the others, drawing their fire as Liam, Jaal and Vetra found cover. Sara, Sloane and Theron kept running, ignoring the fight to chase Reyes onto the platform, out into the raging storm.

The man crouching beside the shuttle tossed his cutter aside as he finally sheared through the landing clamp, and threw down a portable shield between Reyes and his pursuers. Blue energy honeycombed up from the ground. Sloane opened fire anyway, screaming in frustration when her bullets were absorbed by the shield.

Reyes laughed and halted as he reached the shuttle, turning to face them. Theron saw him pull the pin on a grenade, saw him throw it towards them. It arced over the shield, bounced once. Sara tried to stop running, skidded on rain slick metal and fell backwards. Theron reacted on instinct, throwing herself forwards and channelling everything she had into a barrier. She landed with a thud and clawed the grenade towards herself, screwed her eyes shut tight and held her breath, body going cold with fear. One death was a better trade than three.

The grenade detonated beneath her.

Engines roared sending a blast of hot air over the platform as the shuttle slowly banked and rose away from them. The air shimmered around the tail in the mix of heat and fumes, water rippling across the floor as the shuttle blasted away, carving a path through the sheets of rain. Sloane, who had paused on seeing the grenade, lurched forwards, bringing her rifle up to her shoulder. She dodged around the shield, but it was too late, Reyes was already out of range.

Sara scrambled to her feet, tripped once and stumbled to Theron, sinking to her knees beside her.

"You _idiot_!" She cried, gripping her shoulder and moving around Theron to look into her face. Theron merely groaned, face contorted in agony. Sara felt a stab of hope. She was alive! She carefully rolled Theron onto her back, dimly aware of the rest of her crew rushing out onto the platform behind her, and bit back a gasp. Pieces of shrapnel had embedded themselves in the plates that protected Theron's abdomen. Blood welled around the shards, mixing with rain and spilling beneath herself in a cloudy puddle. At least her shields and barrier had absorbed most of the damage, but she didn't look good.

Sloane halted at the edge of the platform and wildly fired her gun at the retreating shuttle, bullets streaking harmlessly into the storm. "No, no, no! Get back here, you coward!"

"Hey, Queen of the Shit Heap," Drack growled and she whirled to face him, gun levelled, eyes flashing angrily, "your minion's hurt." He jerked his head down at Theron.

Sloane snapped her gaze towards Theron, as though noticing her state for the first time. "She jumped on a grenade, of course she's hurt," she spat. She angrily tossed her weapon aside and stomped over to them.

"Sara," Theron spoke through grit teeth, clutching at Sara's upper arm and desperately locking eyes with her. "I just…I'm really sorry…About everything." She forced the words out, voice strained. Her skin had turned pale, whether through shock or something worse, Sara had no idea.

"For Godsake, Theron, you're not dying!" Sara cried, voice tinged with friendly exasperation while her heart was a canon in her chest, seized by fear. "Quit being such a drama queen."

"But she's so good at it," Sloane taunted, dropping to a crouch on Theron's other side. She was smiling wryly, though Sara saw worry in her eyes. Behind her, Cora was calling the Tempest for a pick up, requesting Lexi on standby. She heard Kallo confirm, ETA just a few minutes.

"I'm not?" Theron asked at length, deciding to ignore Sloane's comment. Sharp jagged pain filled her chest with fire with every breath she took, and… _everything_ hurt. "It definitely feels like I am. I think my ribs are broken…"

"Stay still," Sara told her, and was surprised by how calm she sounded. "Lexi will look at you."

Theron blinked rain water out of her eyes. "If I don't drown first…" Sloane leaned over her, an attempt, she realized, at shielding her from the worst of the rain. She gave her boss a strained smile, then angled her head to look down at herself and winced. "I always wanted to become a human pincushion," she muttered, letting her head drop back. She blinked again and swallowed hard and Sara was concerned to see her friend was struggling to keep focussed.

"Shame about Vidal," Theron said. Her tongue felt thick in her mouth and her ears were ringing. The rain felt like ice against her skin, numbing her as it washed away the blood. She flexed her fingers, felt liquid fire spread up her right arm and winced. Her vision was going black around the edges. Sara was saying something to her, but she couldn't hear it. Perhaps she had put a little too much into her barrier. She could feel her biotic implant burning in her head.

The last thing Theron saw before the darkness claimed her was the sight of the Tempest banking high above.

* * *

 **A/N: Just one more update to go :O**


	15. Epilogue

**A/N: I tried to edit this after getting home from seeing Deadpool and it just did NOT happen XD Way too hyped to concentrate**

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Lexi had rushed down the Tempest landing ramp into the raging rain storm and surveyed her patient in tight-lipped silence, leaving Sara feeling as though she had downed a glass of Umi's ryncol/angaran wine Hell-mix. Drack had scooped up the unconscious Theron at a glance from the asari doctor and stomped aboard the Tempest, Theron's head lolling back alarmingly in his arms, body limp, skin almost white in the landing lights.

Sara had spent the flight back to Kadara Port pacing backwards and forwards in front of the sealed medbay door while Lexi worked on Theron, and Suvi stood awkwardly in the corridor with the Pathfinder. As it turned out, Sara need not have worried. Theron somehow woke up as the Tempest was landing in the docks and tried to rise, resulting in a weak argument with Lexi. Her body had taken enough punishment without her exacerbating the injuries by attempting to zip around the port as though nothing had happened.

She had suffered minor shrapnel wounds, broken several ribs, fractured her wrist, and cracked her femur in the explosion from the grenade, not to mention biotic fatigue and various scrapes and bruises from several different firefights.

She was under strict bed rest, much to her dismay, and was being a troublesome patient for everyone involved in looking after her. That was, until, her Outcast doctor threatened to put her into an induced coma until her wounds healed, something Sloane allegedly approved of (or so the doctor claimed, Theron wasn't entirely sure she believed that, but decided a few days of relaxing sounded more appealing than the alternative). A couple of her limited contacts amongst the inhabitants of the port had pulled through and identified the remaining Collective leaks within the Outcasts and the rest of Kadara, placing her firmly in Sloane's good books, if Theron's heroics on the landing platform hadn't already done so.

Kaetus was directing the clean-up of the port, and reinforcement of security despite his own injury. The gunshot to his shoulder would fully heal, leaving no permanent damage other than a scar to flaunt. His men had already made good on Theron's information and rounded up the Collective agents. Couldn't keep him down for long.

Lexi had checked over Suvi as soon as she had stabilised Theron, cleaned up her injuries and spoke to her at length, then sent her to bed after making Suvi promise to check in with her again after resting. Suvi happily complied, exhausted after her ordeal. She had a quick shower to make herself feel a little more human again, something to eat, and then climbed into bed with Sara and fell asleep the second her head touched the pillow.

Sara had spent most of the night watching Suvi closely, as though looking away meant she would disappear. She eventually slipped into a light sleep as the sun heaved itself above the distant mountain range and pushed weak rays through the thick clouds the colour of new bruises that still choked the sky. The need to watch Suvi, to make sure she was still there, kept her in a state of semi-wakefulness until she fully woke up shortly before midday. Normally Suvi's comforting warmth and solid presence was enough to soothe Sara, to keep her still, but not now. Her body ached all over from being pushed to its limits, and despite her restless nap she felt energized. Too energized. She fidgeted in bed for an hour more, then decided she needed to get up and do something, to get some air that hadn't been carefully filtered through her ships systems, before she either went crazy or woke Suvi.

Sara left Suvi in a deep sleep and took the Nomad out to work off some of her restless energy with mindless driving. She needed to get away from all the activity of her ship and the port. Perhaps she should have spoken to Lexi, worked through the anxiety caused by Suvi's abduction with the asari doctor. Maybe later.

Her body knew where she was going before her mind did. Ditaeon soon came into view. White buildings gleamed in the grey light, windows reflecting the gloomy sky. She steered the Nomad off the road, heavy wheels churning a new path through the grass and mud. The storm had gradually wound itself down to a light drizzle that eventually abated, leaving a sky heavy with leaden clouds that crawled slowly from horizon to horizon. She circled the outpost, heading for a gentle hill that rose up beyond the boundaries of Ditaeon.

Sara parked at the foot of the hill and climbed out of the Nomad. Her boots squelched in the mud as she dropped down and began walking. Still-wet grass brushed against her ankles and she slid a couple of times in slick mud, righting herself before she could fall.

At the crest of the hill was a mound of dirt, at the head of which was a small rock cairn. Christie Rodriguez's grave. Sara felt emotion well in her chest.

Ditaeon spread out below, an ever-growing network of roads and buildings. Colonists went about their days, oblivious to the Pathfinder's presence. They would be getting defence turrets before the end of the month, Sara had been quite forceful with that request.

She heaved a sigh and turned her back on the outpost to face the grave, eyes scanning the grass around it for a stone to add to the haphazard pile. She spotted one a few feet away and bent down to scoop it up, placing it reverently on the top of the cairn. She stepped back, rubbing mud off her fingers onto her trousers.

It hadn't even been a week since the body-since _Rodriguez_ -had been found in that cave, and yet it felt like a lifetime ago. So much had happened in such a short space of time; the murder, Theron, the break in, the attack, Suvi's abduction and consequent rescue... It left Sara feeling dazed, hopped up on adrenaline. And still... Reyes had escaped. Justice hadn't been served.

"He will pay," she told the grave. Perhaps, then, it wasn't justice she sought, but revenge. No. She couldn't let her emotions cloud her decisions.

"The ground here is hard and filled with stones and rocks," Sara spun round at the sudden voice to see Mayor Tate approaching her from the direction of the outpost. He stopped beside her, looked down at the grave. "It took an age to dig deep enough to make sure the wildlife wouldn't pull her out. Seemed apt." He glanced up at Sara, offered a mirthless smile. "I saw you from the outpost, thought I'd come up," he explained, fell silent as they both returned their solemn gaze to the grave. Praying, contemplating, Sara didn't know.

Tate spoke again after a moment. "We chose here because we thought she might like to look over the outpost. Though I guess she probably hated it here..." he heaved a sigh, great shoulders lifting and falling as he huffed the breath out. "I don't know. We tried. I hope wherever she is now she's happy, and she can forgive us. Though God knows we don't deserve it." He shook his head in disgust.

"We don't forgive because people deserve it," Sara spoke mechanically without looking, echoing words spoken to her by Cora. Had that really only been yesterday? "We forgive because they need it."

Tate nodded but made no reply. Sara turned to him. "Don't let her sacrifice be in vain. Let it be a lesson. We need to stick together out here, no petty prejudices. And I _will_ find Vidal. Whatever it takes, I'll bring him to justice. He'll pay for Rodriguez and Sloane and for anyone else he's hurt." Her eyes blazed with certainty. She _would_ do this. She knew the Nexus wouldn't take him in, too many feathers might be ruffled, but they would be happy to hand him over to Sloane. He had attacked Kadara as well as a Nexus outpost.

Tate smiled then, the corners of his mouth curling up ever so slightly as he nodded again. "Your father would be proud of you. You know that, right?"

Sara blinked, taken aback by the sentiment. "I... Thank you." She flashed a small smile. The spell between them was broken as her omni-tool chimed. Sara raised her arm and tapped the cuff. A video message from Sloane. She accepted.

" _Ryder_ ," Sloane greeted her seriously. " _Can you get to Outcast HQ? There's... Something you'll want to see_."

Sara felt iron bands coil around her chest, constricting her breathing. "What?" She asked. The fine hair along her arms and at the back of her neck prickled with unease.

" _Nothing serious_ ," Sloane assured her. The usual bravado had left her voice, she sounded weary. Sara wondered if she had slept at all in the hours they had been back. " _Just... You'll want to come._ _You won't believe me if I tell you_." She gave a sloped smile.

"Okay, I'm on my way." Sara cut the message, looked up at Tate who raised an eyebrow.

"Speak again soon, Pathfinder," he said, and turned from her to lope back down the hill towards his outpost. Sara watched him go, then put Ditaeon behind her and made her way back towards the Nomad.

"SAM, how is Suvi?" She asked.

" _Sleeping_ ," he replied on their private channel. " _Would you like me to send you a live video feed of her_?"

Sara paused, ear-tucked her bangs. God, yes, she wanted the visual reassurance, but after being stuck in some pokey cupboard with a security cam trained on her for several hours she doubted Suvi would appreciate that. "No, thanks. Keep me updated."

She clambered into the Nomad and fired up the engines, feeling the vehicle thrum with power as she buckled up her harness. What was it with the people of Kadara sending her cryptic messages? They requested her presence but preferred to give her the details once she arrived, in person, allowing her to stew over the multitude of possibilities. Not that Sloane had given her anything to worry about. On the contrary, she had seemed perfectly calm. Hadn't even snapped once. Though that could have just been because she was too exhausted to snap.

Sara shook her head and guided the Nomad back onto the road. She wasn't a mind reader, no matter how much she turned over the conversation in her head she wouldn't find the answer until she reached Outcast HQ.

* * *

Kadara Port was bristling with security, an understandable reaction to the aftermath of the previous day. There was an element of unease amongst the inhabitants, as though they were waiting for something to snap, to give, under the pressure. Sara knew it would dissipate, it was a response to the attack, but it was still disheartening. News had spread fast; the Charlatan had been beaten back into another retreat. She heard it whispered through the port as she walked amongst crowds thinner than usual, making her way towards Sloane's headquarters.

She left behind the noise of the market, the clamouring voices and sounds of people in motion, and entered the shadowy realms of Outcast HQ. It was strangely quiet, devoid of the security she had seen out in the port, though she heard murmuring tones from several rooms. There was an Outcast presence here, just a lot less than she had assumed there would be. Though, she supposed, the threat of the Collective had been abated once more. The danger was the civilians seizing on the moment of instability to do something stupid.

She rounded the corner and saw, at the end of the corridor, two turians snap to attention outside the doors of Sloane's 'throne' room. They relaxed as they recognized the Pathfinder. An asari stood nearby, pausing with a soaked sponge in her hand to watch Sara approach. Suds dripped from the sponge to the floor, slid slowly down the wall she had been scrubbing. Washing blood from the metal. Sara gave her a sympathetic smile and the asari shrugged and turned back to her work.

"Pathfinder," one of the turians acknowledged. Female, shorter than Vetra, no less intimidating. Neither guard moved aside, so Sara halted before them and gestured to the doors they stood in front of.

"Sloane called me," she explained.

"We know," said the other turian. He was taller, bulkier than his female counterpart, avian features pleasant. He shot Sara an apologetic look while dialling up his omni-tool. "I have to scan you…New rules, you know?"

"She's the Pathfinder," the asari called back to them without looking. Water slopped from her bucket as she dunked her sponge in.

"It's okay," Sara spread her arms. "Go for it."

The turian nodded and passed his scanner over her, checked the readout. "Okay, go ahead."

The guards stepped aside, the female thumping the door control as she did so. Sara stepped through into Sloane's kingdom. The door hissed shut behind her.

A horde of Outcasts toiled in the room, repairing the damage done by the fighting from the previous day. The bodies and blood had, thankfully, been removed. All that remained was shattered glass and broken furniture that had been pushed to the very edges of the room, and a lingering smell of smoke.

Sloane stood with Kaetus and several others before the dais her chair sat on. Grey light slanted through the windows behind them. Kaetus had his arm in a sling across his body, keeping it out of use while his shoulder healed. He nodded a greeting at her as she approached. Sloane turned to face her, and the group fell silent.

"Ryder, finally," she said, standing with her hands on her hips. Sara raised one eyebrow. "Got someone here who wants to see you." Sloane jerked her head back. Behind her, Sara could see an angaran, couldn't see who it was though, with everyone crowded around them. "Says she wants to help find Vidal."

"Oh?" Sara asked curiously.

Sloane stepped aside and the angaran raised her eyes meekly to meet Sara's. Sara recognized her immediately.

"Keema Dohrgun…"

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 **A/N: And that's it, folks! I kind of used the pain I get from sciatica as a basis for Reyes' injury and subsequent bitterness, and the last few weeks it's been playing up like mad, karma? XD Anyway, thanks to everyone who faved/followed/reviewed, always nice to see my hard effort is appreciated :P I've been writing loads of Andromeda tidbits atm, just messing around, nothing serious, but considering throwing it all together into a bundle of oneshots so maybe keep an eye out for that! Gotta crack on with my Dragon Age one too. Thanks again for sticking with this fic! Hope you enjoyed reading as much as I did writing :)**


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